Following the Blind
by Angellwriter
Summary: He'd follow her. Even though she was blind she saw more than anyone, she saw him achieving his revenge, she'd lead him there. "I saw you before we met. With me you'll get everything you truely want." "I'll be back for you Hyuuga Sakura." "I know Sasuke." Of course she knew, she could see into the future after all. SasuSaku.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: You don't own Naruto? that's funny neither do I.**

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Hiashi Hyuuga had three daughters.

Hanabi, his youngest, was a born fighter, she took to fighting like a duck to water. She was a true prodigy mastering the gentle fist style at a young age. She was strong and powerful and had a mastery of the Byakugan that some of the elder Hyuuga did not. And it was these skills in fighting that made Hiashi look over the fact that she was female and that she would not marry. She was too strong-willed to marry, to bend to any man, that was not her fathers, will. It did not matter that she was a good fighter if she did not carry the line on, but she would get away with being unmarried for longer than any other Hyuuga woman.

Then there was his second daughter, Hinata. Now she was the perfect wife, though she did not meet the Hyuuga standard. She was too timid. The perfect Hyuuga woman was strong like a tree to everyone she met. though to the clans males, be it father, brother, uncle or husband, she was to be like clay, easy to shape and bend. Hinata was like a flower though, a daisy that bent to the slightest of winds, that was not to say that she could not fight, she could. She would be married younger than most to strengthen the ties with other clans.

Lastly he had his eldest daughter, Sakura. She was the black, or rather, pink as some would say, sheep in the Hyuuga family. She was the child of his first wife, a woman named Shinami. She was a woman that he loved on sight, she was beautiful and kind. Though she was not a shinobi she was a medic, one of the best, so when she did the impossible and cured his father of a fatal disease he gave his blessing. They married right away, she was the first non Hyuuga to marry a main house member. She was killed a little after Sakura was born and the one responsible was never found. Sakura was the spitting image of her, from the weird pink hair to the bright green eyes. She did not have the Byakugan, another Hyuuga first, she did not have sight at all. Those bright green eyes were unseeing, the doctors said that the sight receivers in her brain just did not connect to her eyes. both the eyes and the brain were not things that were to be messed around with, not when she was not dying from it. So she remained Blind, it was a year after her mothers passing that Hiashi was forced to remarry, a Hyuuga this time. Hiashi secretly loved her more then his other two children though she was the furthest from a Hyuuga. She was too temperamental to be a wife, much like Hanabi, but she was unable to be a fighter because she was blind, because as the clan whispered where the main family could not overhear, 'she'll never be a ninja because she can't see.' But the truth was she saw more than they did.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did I'd make some big changes. Four. Whiskers. Oh yeah.**

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A ten year old Sasuke fell to the ground exhausted, it wasn't enough, not quick enough, not strong enough and _not enough to kill that man_. He trained every day for hours and still he was nowhere near _that mans_ level. He tried, he went to bed sore every night and if he didn't he pushed himself twice as hard the next day.

It was noon and he was already tired and hungry, he had brought a few origiri but had already eaten them. His endurance needed work, he could do four hours before needing a break to eat and then he was only able to do another two hours before needing to eat again and rest. It wasn't even that he was to tire to work, it was his constant injuries, he always hurt himself training. But that was no excuse. That man could train all day and night without breaking to eat or sleep, he couldn't even hold out for a third of that, at this rate he'll never beat him. His clan would never be avenged and he would forever be living in the shadow of that man trying to escape him.

His stomach growled and he knew what he'd do, he'd go get something to eat before going back to his his, too big, house at the end of that ghost town district and pour over books and scrolls from the Uchiha private library before falling to sleep on them. It happened every weekend, it was his routine.

He heard the distinctive sound of foot steps approaching and he stood and whipped his head to see who it could be. He didn't know who he imagined would stumble into his training ground but he never thought that it would be a pink haired girl.

She was wearing a long white kimono with pink flowers stitched up the sides, her obi was a fresh mint green in color. The sleeves of her kimono stopped at her wrists showing her tiny hands and the skirt dropped down to her ankles. She was wearing no shoes, her feet made no sounds and the slight rustle of cloth when she walked was the only noise she made as she approached me. She had beautiful hair that was the oddest color of pink and it trailed down to her lower back in slight waves. She had a slightly large forehead but it didn't seem out of proportion or make her look unattractive, it suited her just as well as her small button nose. Her eyes looked bright but distant, like she was looking, not at me, but behind me and I fought the urge to look behind me, I knew there was nothing there.

She stopped a few feet away before speaking, "Excuse me," Her voice was warm and soft but not in a shy way, as if she had been brought up to speak this way. "Do you happen to know the way to the Hyuuga compound?" She continued in her light voice.

I stared at her, I'd never seen her before, not that I take notice of girls, but anyone with pink hair would catch my attention even for a moment. A foreigner or a civilian, a noble one from her clothes I'd say. I hoped she was not like the girls at the academy, they always squealed and jumped on him, it was annoying, they should spend more time on training. I did not fully believe that she was lost, though only a few blocks away from the Hyuuga compound it was still visible from here if only just. So either she was a foreigner or she was like the girls at the academy. Though I was leaning to the academy like girls, I was raised to use manners, it was not proper for a Uchiha to appear hostile to new people, especially high status people. This was the only reason I answered the weird girl who was still not really looking at me and only in my direction.

"Hn. Go that way, take a left, then a right at the fruit stand and go straight." I said pointing towards the Hyuuga compound which I could see from here.

she smiled and shook her head. I knew that smile too, it was a smile my mother use to give me when I kept going on about being killed protecting the village. It was a smile that said that she was sad, that she understood but she didn't want it to be so. I decided that I didn't like it.

"Those direction will not work for me, I am unable to see where you are pointing." She said in that same soft voice. I froze as everything connected and I realised that she was blind. Those bright eyes were not looking behind me, they were not looking anywhere because they could not _see_. Her lack of shoes was also a sign, there were a few old people it the clan that were blind, they said that they used their feet to see were they were going instead of a cane. It also explained why she could not find her way to the Hyuuga compound when it was visible from here. But how was I to know, she lacked milky eyes that most blind had and she acted so all seeing and knowing even as she stated she was lost. It felt like she was saying something else, that she was not here for directions but for _something else_.

I didn't know what to do next, it did not feel right giving her a more usable set of directions and just sending her out into the crowded streets, she looked too delicate, like she would break by a touch... I could take her to the Hyuuga compound, it wasn't that far and I did want to stop at that fruit stand and pick up some fresh tomatoes. I did plan to go left at the stand but I could back track. _'Men never leaves defenceless woman to walk home alone, but Uchiha men do not wait until the woman asks for an escort.'_ It was words of wisdom that his mother had told him when his father walked one of her friends homes.

Mind made up he lightly tugged her sleeve before saying, "I'll show you." He went to take a step before almost buckling under his own weight, his ankle was hurt, he thought it was merely a sprain but with the adrenaline gone it felt like a broken bone or a fracture. He let out a ragged breath and gritted his teeth closing his eyes and trying to fight off the pain.

"Your hurt." The soft voice floated into his ears and forced himself to open his eyes as he felt hands on him that gave a warm sensation. He saw her running her hands over him a green light lit her hands and his injuries disappeared as she went. His shock gave her enough time to heal his upper body wounds before she got on her knees to do his legs, she ran her had over her non-injured leg before doing the injured one. After a few seconds she got to her feet, her white kimono now had a layer of dirt on it but she just smiled in his direction, no at him.

Sasuke was awed, who was the strange pink haired girl who could not see but could find me when other girls had tried and failed. The girl who just healed a stranger just because he was in pain, a girl who looked around his age but acted so much older. _Who are you?_

He hadn't realised that he asked out loud until she answered.

"Sakura, my name is Sakura. Will you tell me yours?" She smiled again, a warm smile I often saw my mother give.

"Sasuke." I said before I even thought to reply.

"Well it is very nice of you to meet you, Sasuke-san." She smiled again and I felt disarmed, I nodded then remembered she could not see.

"Aa."

I hovered around her not sure how to lead her, with pain no longer clouding my mind I did not feel right about leading her by her sleeve, but I didn't want to just touch her. Her small smile turned more prominent as if she could tell I was uncomfortable.

"Sasuke-san, may I take hold of one of your arm warmers?" She asked and I was grateful but did not let it show.

"Hn." I grunted though holding my arm under her hand, she took hold of the material lightly and nodded at me to start walking.

We walked in silence as we left the training ground, I didn't mind, I liked silence and it was not uncomfortable, but as we got closer to the main street the noise volume rose. Still the silence between us did not lift. I noticed that I did not need to worry about her getting knocked over, her beauty and grace made the village people move for her so that they could watch as she passed.

It was near the fruit stall that our silence was broken and I almost blushed as my stomach growled loudly, I hoped that it wouldn't be distinguishable over the noise of the crowd. My hopes were dashed when she stopped and smiled before pulling me gently to the fruit stand, I followed unwilling to cause a scene by disagreeing.

She released her hold on my arm warmer when we were close and started to feel the apples. "Is this red or green?" She asked holding an apple up.

I smirked as I answered, "Hn. Yellow."

She smiled brilliantly and gave a soft giggle before putting the apple down and moving to the next basket.

The stall owner saw us and made his way over.

"Sasuke, done training already? Have you come for more tomatoes? I saved a bag just for you." He said smiling.

I nodded. "Aa Hiro-san."

"What about this one?" Sakura's soft voice inquires Holding up another apple.

"Hn, still yellow." I was again smirking.

"This one?" She said holding up the apple in her other hand.

I almost grinned unable to pass up the opportunity I replied, "Its as bright as the sun."

She huffed and put the bright red apple back and I held in a chuckle. Her head whipped to me as if I had laughed and she glared over my shoulder and I could no longer hold in my laughter, it bubbled up my chest and out my mouth. It felt good to laugh, I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed, I didn't want it to end but it died down soon.

"Yes _so mature_, laugh at the blind girl." I would have worried that I had hurt her feelings if she did not have a smile on her face.

"I apologize, how can I make it up to you." I said seriously, I did feel kind of bad.

"You can pick me out three green apples, they are my favorite." She said smiling.

I went to the basket fulled with green apples and felt each one until I found three perfect, bright green apples, I placed them in a bag and gave them to Hiro.

"How much?" I asked Hiro ignoring Sakura's protests that she could pay for it herself.

Hiro was grinning as he told me they were 3 ryo's, I nodded took the large bag of tomatoes and the small bag that had the apples in it. I nodded to him as I, again, placed my arm under Sakura's hand, she sighed and held lightly to it, thanking Hiro over her shoulder as we left. Somehow I think she knew that he had not charged me for her apples.

We carried on a little longer, the Hyuuga compound was in sight, just at the end of this road and when we weren't too far from the compound gates, we heard a shout.

"Sakura-nee. Sakura-nee." I turned to the direction of the voice and saw a flustered looking girl with short dark purple hair and the classic milky Hyuuga eyes. I vaguely remembered her from my class, if memory serves she was the eldest Hyuuga daughter from the main family. I also seemed to recall her having a sister, a younger one that was much younger then her, though I had not really paid attention to any girls in my class, or at all. I also didn't recall her face in the crowd of obnoxious girls that followed me around screaming.

She had reached us now and walked straight to Sakura. "Sakura-nee, where were you? what if otou-san found out you left the Hyuuga grounds without an escort? He would be upset."

"Hinata, I am old enough to leave the compound without an escort and if _Hanabi_ can leave any time she likes so can I, I am over twice her age." Sakura said sternly before softy laying a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Do not worry so much Imouto." It was as if Sakura had a calming effect on Hinata and all her tension drained from her body at Sakura's soft words and kind touch.

"Hai Onee-chan." Hinata replied.

It was then that she noticed me, she flushed and straightened her posture. "Hello Uchiha-san."

I nodded, "Hyuuga-san."

"Thank you for walking me home Sasuke-san and thank you for the apples, they better be green too." I smirked at her and though she couldn't see me I was sure she knew it was there.

"Ja ne, Sasuke-san." She smiled and walked away with her sister.

"Ja ne, Sakura." I didn't think she would hear but she turned around and our eyes met, and for a second, before she nodded and turned around, I had a feeling she saw me.

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**Okay, so tell me what you think, this story is really based mostly on a family legend that was altered to fit into the naru-world. Also I'd like to thank griffindork93 for inspiring me to write something. Anyway tell me if Sakura and Sasuke are too OCC, I don't really think they are too OCC. I will try to update all I can and I will also try to be nice about were I end each chapter, I both Love and Hate cliffhangers. I have also already wrote half of chapter two and it will be up in Two Days. Anyway review, I like to read, and write, long reviews and I really love input. Anyway love you all, probably...if you review, maybe.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Angellwriter says**** Hey. Angellwriter says Yo. Angellwriter says, I. Do. Not. Own. Na. Ru. To.**

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For the first time in Sasuke's life he had something on his mind besides training to avenge his clan. He was contemplating the benefits of medical ninjutsu and it was all because of a certain pink haired girl he had met two weeks ago. After he had left her at the Hyuuga compound he went back to training, he could do another four hours and when he went home he was not in as much pain as he usually was. He went to the Uchiha library and searched for any medical scrolls, books or texts, though the library was large and had a lot of information of all types of jutsu's, there were rarely any on medical jutsu's and even less on how to use them.

It was now two weeks after he had first met Sakura that he sat at a desk in the Uchiha library. He almost sighed after rereading another scroll that made little sense to him, this one was on healing muscle damage, something that would come in handy when training. It made no sense, half the scroll was dedicated on just chakra control needed to perform medical jutsu and in every scroll it referred to ten different jutsu's he had no clue about, _I mean what was the mystical palms technique?_ I leaned back on the chair I was sitting on and looked around the library, it was fairly large and packed with scrolls and books on all these different jutsu's most of them had been copied by the Sharingan and written down by clan members. There were jutsu's that were from different villages that the Uchiha had copied, even a few from this village, and even a few lines on some of the kekei genkai's that Uchiha had encountered. Though not all the Uchiha's information was in here, there was a sub level in the Uchiha library will the secrets of the clan and some more dangerous clans that Uchiha had barely survived encounters with. I remembered my father saying that there was even some other clans secret jutsu techniques. I had never been in there, I had tried to find it though, tried to access the Uchiha's shadow library but I could never find it, it must have been a place only a true Uchiha's could go. Uchiha's with the Sharingan. I knew little about the Uchiha's famous kekkei genkai, what little I remembered my father telling me and what little was in this part of the Uchiha library was everything I knew.

Medical ninjutsu, I learnt, was an area that was not to be taken lightly, one could not simply learn one or two jutsu's without learning the basics. And the basics were vast, the basics were anatomy to chakra coils to chakra control, the list went on, that was learnt before you even touched even a paper cut on someone. I didn't have time to learn it, learning just the basics would take a few months to a year, time that was better spent on training. I just needed to repair the muscle damage that I went though, maybe a few of my wounds. I didn't want to be a medic-nin, I couldn't picture myself healing the wounded, smiling and pretending I cared. I'd have a medic on my team when I go to find _that man,_ but for now I needed to learn this, I needed to go to the Konoha's library. After all if there was anything his father had taught him when he spoke about the shadow library it was that knowledge was also a weapon.

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The Konoha library was larger than the Uchiha private library, it housed many scrolls and books, though none were what I needed. The ninja section was a small dusty corner that housed nothing but utter non-sense and there was nothing about medical ninjutsu. All the people milling around were civilians, I had yet to spot a ninja and the girl at the front desk was not helpful, she was older than him but she smiled funny and was always blinking when ever he was close to her. It was annoying.

It had taken a while to find the dusty ninja section without help and even longer to find something that wasn't just some idealized story of fictional work about ninja missions that were full of lies anyway. Missions with those kind og things they say happened were confidential and the jutsu's used were unrealistic. I mean there was no jutsu that brought the dead back to life, and even if there was, who would be stupid enough to bring back their enemies. I would try to read some of them before discarding them as useless and moving on.

Each scroll was as bad as the last and I felt my brain start to turn to mush. I had just finishing another insensible scroll about chakra channeling which referred to chakra as a_ 'magical feeling'_, and to use it you needed to, _'let it flow through your inner rivers at a steady rate or you will lose your magic feeling and your spell'_, jutsu,_ 'would not be as strong.'_ It was nonsense, but it was nonsense that _made sense_. If you ignored the idiotic terminology and managed to decipher the writers codes of the basic.

I took all the scrolls back to the shelf, even the unread ones, I had wasted enough time on this rubbish. I could not believe that, in a ninja village, the library had no usable information on ninja technique. I was getting ready to leave when I saw unmistakable hair. I debated ignoring her and leaving but to do that I would have to wait for her to travel further into the library before leaving. I was also a little curious. Mind made up I approached her. "Uchiha-san." She said, her voice was as soft and shy as it had the last time she talked to me.

I nodded and replied, "Hyuuga-san." I did not know what to do now, I didn't even really know why I approached Hyuuga Hinata, sure I had to pass her to leave but that didn't mean after my polite acknowledgement that I had to stick around. I didn't have to stop, sure I wanted to ask some questions but I did not know what to say. I wasn't one to start-up conversations, or carry them on and Hinata was too shy to talk without prompting. I looked at the scrolls and books in her hands, she had two books and three scrolls. The books were weird, they did not have titles just little bumps across the covers, the scrolls looked normal though.

She caught my glance at books and scrolls in her hands and stuttered out a response. "I-I was just returning these and getting some m-more medical b-books f-for Sakura-nee."

I almost scowled at this, there were no medical text worth anything here, I had been here for an hour searching the shelves. I nodded and she was about to turn away, she paused before leaving, she seemed to hesitate for a second before turning back to me. "Um, I-I was w-wondering if y-you w-would c-con-consider a-answer-r-ring some question a-ab-b-bout..." The rest of her sentence was indeterminable by her stuttering voice.

I raised an eyebrow, I did not know how to reply, I did not know what she wanted to question me about and it didn't look like she was able to repeat. I did not normally indulge anyone with answering questions but something about her shaking form stopped me from saying no. I simply started to walk in the direction she was heading to, the front desk, instead of the exiting doors I had been headed towards. I stopped a few feet ahead when I saw she was not following me but instead was staring at me.

"Don't you need to return those." I pointedly looked at the books and scrolls in her hands.

She nodded looking grateful, "H-hai." She then raced off in front of me. I was surprised when she did not take the books to the return slot by the librarian but went behind the desk. She waved lightly and said hello before entering the door a few feet away from the lady, I followed her example, sane the greeting to the librarian.

I had no clue what to expect, maybe I _hoped_ that there would be more then a small room for the librarian to sort new and newly returned books. My hopes dimmed when we entered a small room that was for just that. They, however, soared again when Hinata walked though a solid wall. I blinked for a second and felt the wall she had just walked though, _it feels solid_, I thought as I ran my hands lightly over it, it was an amazing genjutsu that I would not have noticed if I had not just seen Hinata walk though it. I abandoned my examination of the genjutsu and walked through the wall, I half expected to walk into brick but I passed right through.

The room was much smaller then the other library room, I almost hit myself for thinking that ninja scrolls would be kept in the open, where any civilian or visiting shinobi could just come and read them. I should have figured it out when I first picked up one of those so called _'ninja' _scrolls. And if that was not enough clues what about my clan's library? Wasn't it just a few hours ago that I was thinking about the shadow library in the Uchiha's private library? Information was a weapon, that was why ninja were so deceptive, it was why we had so many secrets, the information and jutsu's that were hidden by my family were dangerous if they fell into the hands of enemy. And the clan and the village shared the same mentality.

I spotted Hinata talking timidly to a Hyuuga who was behind the help desk, the other lady smiled and gave Hinata two more books like the ones she had just returned and four scrolls. I saw Hinata bow to the lady before returning to me, I took the books and scrolls from her hand and turned, I caught her shocked expression but did not comment as she protested slightly. _It was a mans duty to carry a womans things._ It was a saying my mother used when she handed her things over to my father. It was a slight shock to see, not a blank wall, but an entry way which showed the small back room, I hid my surprise well though and exited the ninja library.

Hinata did not ask a question until we were outside and halfway to the Hyuuga compound, it was also very quiet and I almost missed it. "What do you know about Onee-chan?" I was slightly confused by this question, I knew very little of the Hyuuga clan, some select few information on their kekkei genkai that was in the upper level of the Uchiha private library, nothing else though. And she had not asked, what I knew of her clan she asked what I knew about her _sister. _She must have meant Sakura, I had not met her other sister and I did not think Hinata would be asking about her.

"Hn. Nothing." I replied, it was true, I knew near nothing about the pink haired girl who stumbled into my training ground.

She smiled a smile that was not shy and nervous like the past ones I had seen, it was a secret smile, one that, I gathered, few had seen.

"I thought that I knew everything about by my onee-chan." I was surprised that she had not stuttered, it felt as if she was not talking to me but instead to herself. "There were things that she told me that she had not told anyone. But I never seen her smile like that, the way she acts around you..." She looked at me then, and there was a fire in her eyes, one I'd never seen in her before. "What do you know about Sakura?" The way she asked was as if she didn't want to know the little things I knew about her sister but something bigger. It was really no use though, we did not talk much, she had only told me two things, that she was blind and that she favoured green apples. I knew nothing else about the weird pink haired girl that had healed me.

Wait, was that it, was it her sisters healing abilities that Hinata wanted to hide? I thought about it, from what I heard healing was a rare ability, not many had the patience or chakra control and reserve to perform it. Even less did healing well, most took years to even get the flicker of green light and even longer to use it to heal more then tiny scrapes. She must have been a medical prodigy. She had the potential to be the greatest person capable of medical ninjutsu, and she was blind. That must have been it, she was worried about her sisters wellbeing.

"I won't tell anyone about her medic abilities." I looked the Hyuuga in the eye as I said it and I saw a strange mixture of relief and realisation in her eyes. I was curious though, I wanted to know where Sakura had learnt to wield healing chakra, I had never heard of someone who was blind that could use chakra at all, even the clans men lost their ability to use chakra when the went blind. And I had never heard of a blind person able to use one the most complex forms of chakra. I could not ask however, we had just reentered a crowded street and I was unable to ask without someone overhearing. I walked Hinata to the gates of the Hyuuga compound before giving her books and scrolls back.

"Thank you Uchiha-san." She said shyly. I simply nodded and went to leave, I was going to return to the ninja library to find some books on medical ninjutsu's.

As I was about to turn the corner I felt a tingle, as if someone was watching me, I looked back to the Hyuuga compound and saw a flash of pink that was gone before I could find the source.

_Sakura._

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**This one is a day early, Yay. I'll try to update in another couple days. Also, I do not plan where my chapters stop. They stop where I feel is right. That could be two thousand words in or it could be twenty thousand words in. Though don't count on twenty thousand worded chapters, and if there is some don't expect them to be whipped out as fast as the two thousand worded ones. No Sakura in this chapter though, I'm kind of a little sick of two people meeting and then every where they turned the other person is there. Its kind of weird and not really realistic. Yup writing about future seers and ninja's, and I'm worried about being realistic. Anyway next chapter will be super long, I'm aiming for ten thousand words and hopefully I can get to the beginning of the series before chapter 5. I was thinking 1 year chapter 3 and 1 year chapter 4. And yes I have already started chapter 3 and hopefully it doesn't take a week to get out. Anyway fav and review.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own..well you know the rest.**

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It was another two weeks later that Sasuke even thought of Sakura besides the passing thought every time he stumbled on a particularly hard concept in his medical studies. It was noon on Sunday and as usual he was headed to the fruit stall, he had run out of tomatoes again, he was injured too, he had yet to advance in his studies enough to heal a fly, let alone himself. His left side ached with every step, he had landed on it pretty heavily after a miscalculation when he landed.

When he came into view of the fruit stall he saw a head of long pink hair standing if front of the apples. Without his permission a small smile slide onto his face before his face became blank again and carried on to the stall.

"Ohayou Uchiha-san." I didn't even realize that she was there too until she spoke, I briefly looked at Hinata. "Hyuuga-san." I replied with a nod.

"Ohayou Sasuke-san." Sakura turned around, she held a half yellow half red apple in her hand as she smiled slightly to the left of me.

I couldn't stop the smirk that came to my face or the small chuckle that escaped me but I stifled both.

"Sakura, I thought you didn't like yellow apples." My smirk widened when she shot a glare at me, managing to glare in the right direction, then a grin spilled onto her face.

"Well I'm glad that I have you to remind me, and I bet a kind gentleman like you would find me three green apples that do not have even a speck of yellow." She said, her voice was just as soft and kind as I remembered.

"Aa." I replied in an affirmative as I looked though the apples.

"So what are you doing now Sasuke-san." Sakura asked as I looked for a second green apple, _no this one is bruised_, "I just finished training." I replied picking up another, _no this one was turning red_, "I hope you didn't hurt yourself too much." She said with concern laced into her voice, I tried to ignore it, it made me feel funny, _this ones perfect_. "Nothing I can't handle." I replied searching for a last apple which I found quickly but almost dropped when I felt small hands on me. I turned to see Sakura with a look of concern on her face which was turned to me and if it wasn't for the fact that I knew she was blind I'd think that she was looking at me.

It was the warm fuzzy feeling that I recognised that clued me into the fact that she was healing me. She then placed her hand over my side and started to heal that too, before I could tell her that I was fine she had finished and was now smiling like she had done something to be proud of and I couldn't take that away from her by saying that she didn't have to, instead I did something that I didn't often do. I thanked her. She giggled and said it was nothing, brushing it off.

"Sasuke, just on time, I have your tomatoes here." Hiro's voice called out to me. I turned nodding at him as I handed him Sakura's apples, his eyes flicked to Sakura before he grinned and bagged the apples too and telling me the cost, 3 ryo's. "So Sasuke, who's your friend?" Hiro asked grinning.

I froze, was Sakura my friend? I'd only met her twice, did that count as friends, did that mean we were friends. I don't even remember the last friend I had or when. I was saved from answering when I heard a voice answer.

"I'm Sakura, its nice to meet you." I turned to see Sakura giving a little bow.

"Well Sakura its nice to meet you too, I'm Hiro." Hiro held out his hand for Sakura to shake.

I shook my head to him, he gave me a confused look and I sighed. "Hn. She's blind." I said.

His hand retreated so fast it was as if it was burnt by my words than he apologised Rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't be so mean Sasuke, you act like you always knew I was blind." The comment made me turn a little red. "Hn." I replied and turned away so they did not see my blush.

I heard the laughter of Hiro, Sakura and Hinata, who I had forgotten was there. I heard Hinata being introduced to Hiro.

Hiro soon left to see to some other customers saying goodbye before he left.

"Sasuke-san?" Sakura called out to me, I turned to her, she was looking in the opposite direction to where I was.

"Hn." I said as she turned to me and smiled sheepishly, I almost smiled at her.

"Me and Hina-nee were going to go to have a picnic, would you join us? I'm told its a lovely day." She smiled so hopefully that he could not deny her.

"Aa." The smile she gave me was stunning and for a second I was sad that she would never get to see her smile herself.

After a second she turned to her sister her smile was different then, it wasn't as bright and it wasn't as soft, this must have been what Hinata was talking about the other day. This was not the smile she wore when talking to me and, for some strange reason, I was glad, to have a smile that was only reserved for me. Though I hadn't known Sakura long, it felt as if she knew me, the true me and it was strange because not even I knew the true me.

"Hina-nee, Sasuke said that he would join us for our picnic, I am very excited." Sakura's soft voice chimed.

I saw Hinata smile warmly at her elder sister and answered, "That is wonderful Kura-nee."

I took the basket from Hinata's hands, who gave it over reluctantly but put up no argument, she smiled a shy smile instead.

"Hinata-sama." A voice cut what Hinata was about say next. "Hiashi-sama has returned early and has requested both you and your sister for training." The voice belonged to another Hyuuga, he had long hair that was a dark brown and those same lavender eyes that were common on Hyuuga's. With his message sent he bowed to the sisters but did not leave.

I found myself slightly disappointed, I had wanted to ask about Sakura's medical ninjutsu, but when I saw the smile that was present on Sakura's face fall. I knew that I wasn't the only one disappointed. But I also felt a little annoyed by Sakura, training was more important than a silly picnic, though it was when Hinata apologised to Sakura and ran off that I understood. Sakura was not training with her father and sisters, of course she was not, she didn't have the Hyuuga's Byakugan.

A fire entered Sakura and she straightened more from her slightly hunched over possession.

"Dai-san, you are dismissed." Sakura said to a surprised recently named Hyuuga.

"But Sakura-sama, I must escort you home." He said.

"Did otou-sama say you must?" She inquired.

"No Sakura-sama but-"

"Then you do not have to escort me home and, there for, you are dismissed." Sakura cut him off.

"Then how will you get home Hime?" The Hyuuga said as if she was a misbehaving princess, and, by his nickname he had given her, that is actually what he thought she was.

The fire flared and she, impossibly, straightened more. "First of all, I am not a imbecile nor am I unaware of what you think of me. Secondly I am the eldest child of the Hyuuga's main branch and until my father says otherwise you will obey me above all others sane my father himself. And lastly, I have an escort so I will not be needing your services. Thank you. _You_ are dismissed." Her voice held a sweet venom, like a snake, you knew if you got too close that it would kill you but it was mesmerizing and its eyes pulled you in anyway.

The Hyuuga swiftly bowed, though Sakura wasn't able to see and left. After a few moments Sakura turned back to me. She was wearing that smile again, the smile that was only directed for me, I was filled with a strange fuzzy warmth. "You don't mind if it is just us two, do you Sasuke-san." again I could not bear to say no to her.

"Hn." I said as I put my arm under her hand after shifting everything to hold with one hand. "Where are we going?" I asked she gripped my sleeve lightly.

"Well, you pick as long as it isn't too loud. Even if I knew where Hina-nee and I usually go I couldn't lead you there." She smiled trusting me to lead her.

* * *

I decided to take her to my private training ground, it was one of the ones that belonged to the Uchiha clan, when everyone was still alive there had been several. Though everything that had the Uchiha name on it was given to me when everyone was killed by _that man. _After that I leased the other grounds to the village or to the some high ranking ninja to use, I didn't feel right selling them. I had leased every single one, except the one in the Uchiha district and this one. The one in the district was the one I used when I trained with _that man,_ it brought up too many memories and even though half the time I was spurred on by the memories into training harder, the other half I'd end up in near tears. I however refused to let them fall but it took too much concentration and I would be unable to finish training. This one I kept for me to train in, though it was the furthest from the Uchiha distract, it was the one with the most privacy, it was also the training ground that I first met Sakura a month ago.

I laid down the blanket I found in the basket then lead her to sit down, she smiled and thanked me, I nodded though remembered she couldn't see and said an affirmative. It was kind of hard to rewrite my responses, everything I did worked on body language which was redundant when it came to Sakura. I didn't know what to do now as I sat next to her, luckily Sakura helped me.

"Hina-nee said that she packed two bentos and I made tomato soup, that's in there as well." Sakura blushed and lowered her head before raising it again and yet again I was stricken with the feeling that she could see me. "I was bringing it to you, a thank you for helping me out, Hiro implied that you often came for tomatoes when you first walked me home. I thought you might like it."

I was slightly taken aback by the thoughtfulness of the act, but it seemed like a Sakura thing to do, like healing a stranger. Again I found myself thanking her, she beamed and I found that saying thank you to her wasn't bad.

She told me that the top bento was hers and the bottom one I could have along with the soup. I gave her bento to her and after making sure she was alright picked out the container that held red soup, it was a big container that held a lot of soup, enough for two meals. I opened the lid and the smell hit me, it smelt great and my stomach growled at the thought of being able to eat it. I heard a soft giggle from Sakura that told me she heard it too, it caused me to blush and I was selfishly thankful she couldn't see it. I hesitated before offering if she wanted some, there was enough for one person to have two meals or two people to have one, though I wanted to eat it all myself I couldn't. Not without at least offering.

"Do you want some soup?" I asked her but she shook her head.

"I am not very fond of tomato soup, but thank you, that is all for you." She smiled at me and I was struck, she had made me tomato soup which she knew she wouldn't be eating. It was then I decided that even if this was the most horrible thing I had ever tasted I would eat it all and say thank you because, as cheesy as it was, it was the thought that counted.

I didn't have to worry though, the soup was amazing and though I found myself unable to finish it I had still eaten more then half. Sakura too had finished eating and was now laying down. I had packed everything away and was leaning back on my arms next to her, still sitting up, but comfortable. The silence was comfortable too, I rather silence to pointless chatter but I felt the need to ask somethings, than again I didn't think it was pointless.

"Where did you learn medical ninjutsu." I grimaced, it sounded as if I was accusing her, it didn't even sound like a question, more a statement. She looked a little taken back but, luckily, not offended.

"When I was younger, before my father re-married, he use to spend hours telling me about my mother. He painted a story of a beautiful woman who stole his heart. He said that he was suppose to marry a Hyuuga but as soon as he met kaa-san there was no one else. He said that ojii-sama did not approve of main branch members marrying outside the clan. It was because of my mothers medic skills that they were allowed to marry. Ojii-sama had a very rare, very incurable disease, and my mother cured him. He said he owed her a his life and that they had his blessing." She smiled up at the clouds that she couldn't see. "I wanted to be as great as kaa-san, she was the greatest medic in the village and she would have been the best in the world...if she would of lived."

"What happened to her?" The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"No one knows, one day he came home and...she had been killed. Sure there was an investigation but no one was found accountable." There was a frown on her face now, I didn't like it.

"You never told me where you learnt medical ninjutsu." I said trying to distract her.

She blinked, as if shaking off the memories. "I got the basics from the small amount of braille books in the library and a few smaller healing ninjutsu techniques my father had translated to braille for me. The ones that weren't possible to be translated were read to me. I also had a natural ability to heal. I can't do major operations but I can heal bones and muscles along with superficial things." She said, her frown was no longer present but the bright smile I was use to was not present.

We fell into silence for a moment before I asked another question that was bothering me.

"Your sister is very protective of you, she made it seem as if your medical ninjutsu was suppose to be a secret..." I trailed off, because it was clear where I was going. Yet you healed me in the middle of a crowded street.

She smiled, the same one I saw her give Hinata. "Hina-nee is very protective of me." Though the 'why' was left unsaid, she answered. "When Hina-nee and I were younger we use to swap bed so when okaa-chan woke us she'd find us in each others beds, we found it hilarious. But one night when I was sleeping in Hinata's bed a man came in the middle of the night and took me." I was shocked, I didn't know what to do, what to say, what was one suppose to say? I didn't have to panic about it for too long because she continued. "Otou-sama killed him before he left the compound but neither Hinata nor otou-sama forgave themselves." It made sense, Hinata was the kind of person that blamed herself for things out of her control, even in the little time I've known her I could tell that much.

"Why don't you train with your family?" I knew she was blind but there were still great ninja that were blind, some ninja purposely fought without sight or smell or hearing.

Her smile turned sad again and I almost cursed my curiosity, but not enough to retract my question, if she truly didn't want to answer, she wouldn't. "I use to sit in on them, and sometimes I would spar with my sisters, I learnt how to hear the attacks, the slight rustle of clothes, the sound of a hand or foot striking through the air, even the slightest sound of shifting feet. Using these methods I was able to successfully dodge and block all my sisters attacks. However one day it went too far, Hanabi, my other sister, had struck and blocked a chakra point to my heart. I almost died. From that day I was banned from training, well, banned from _Hyuuga_ training. My father said that the Hyuuga elders were right, that I shouldn't be training with my sisters. My father told me that I couldn't be a ninja, I argued with him for days before he said that, if I wanted to be a ninja it wouldn't be in the Hyuuga name." The same fire entered her eyes, bright and strong, I felt a strange feeling in my stomach seeing it. I didn't get long to study it when she continued. "And I will become a ninja, and my teacher will train me, not because I'm a Hyuuga, but because they see potential in me." She sat up and was facing me now and the feeling that she could see me was burning, those eyes said so may things. For eyes that couldn't see, they spoke volumes. "And until I find that teacher that will take a chance on me, I'll learn what I can from books and things I overhear from ninja students. I have a dream, no I have an ambition because I won't stop until its reality, I'll become a ninja without my clan or it's eyes." She gave a nod as if accepting her own answer before laying back down.

"Why," my voice was slightly hoarse, she had gotten to me. I shook off the strange feeling that had moved from my stomach to my chest. "Are you telling me all this?" It was strange, we were practically strangers and she was healing me and telling me these things that were personal, things that were secrets.

She finally gave me that bright smile that was mine, "I know its weird, but I trust you, I can tell your a good person and," her smile turned softer, "I want you to be my first friend."

I was shocked, not only about the fact that this...wonderful person wanted to be my friend, trusted me, but the fact that I'd be her first friend. This girl was truly amazing and I have no doubt her dre- her _ambition_ would come true.

"Aa." I said and her smile glowed as she turned back to the sky she couldn't see, after a small hesitation I laid too.

Sakura asked questions then, never big ones like mine, little things, my birthday, favourite foods, anything that popped into her head. I answered everyone, I owed her that much at least, and besides, we were friends.

* * *

Three hours later we were laying down in silence after an argument.

_"No. You can't tell me that you don't like sweets, you can't _not_ like sweets. No one _not_ likes sweet things."_

_"_I_ don't like sweet things."_

_"What about cake, _everyone_ eats cake."_

_"I don't."_

_"Dango?"_

_"No."_

_"Ice cream?"_

_"No."_

_"_Chocolate_. You must like chocolate."_

_"No, I hate chocolate."_

_"_Weirdo!_ Okay then, if you were forced to eat a kind of cake, and if you didn't eat it all the tomatoes in the world would disappear forever, what kind of cake would it be? And it has to be sugary too."_

_"That's stupid." _

_"Just answer the question."_

_"Hn. Vanilla."_

_"Aha. So you like vanilla."_

_"No."_

Sakura would need to go home soon, I found myself not wanting it to end. I had grown to like Sakura, she talked a lot sure but I found myself not minding. She had even talked more about medical ninjutsu, her explanation made it easier to grasp but not anywhere easier to do.

Sakura sighed before getting up saying it was time to leave I panicked a little, she was my first friend and I didn't want to lose her. I almost scowled at the childish thought but I couldn't stop it. But when Sakura turned to me with that bright smile I knew everything would be fine.

"Sasuke-san would you be free next weekend at noon? I am only allowed out of the compound on the weekends, I was wondering if we could have another picnic." She smiled brightly and my panic eased.

"Aa." I said, she beamed and for a second I thought it must hurt to smile so much.

"Okay, pick me up at the front of the Hyuuga compound." I couldn't bring myself to care that I'd have to cut training short to meet her on time and later it would bother me. But right now, with her face shinning bright with a giant smile, I realised that I cared very little.

"Aa." I said taking the basket and my bag of tomatoes, with the last of the soup inside, in one hand and putting my hand under hers. We left the training ground in silence.

* * *

The week passed slowly and I trained harder than ever. My day with Sakura made me feel guilty about neglecting my training. I wasn't going to kill _that man_ if I was sitting around having picnics and talking about trivial things. After this picnic, I planned to tell Sakura that I needed to concentrate on my training and had no need of anyone that couldn't help me to achieve my goal, _my ambition_. She'd understand, she had to, she and I were alike in many ways.

It was after we were at the training ground, me all healed, and pulling out chicken and tomato sandwiches and a cheese and tomato omelets, two of my favourite foods that I told her last week. That I felt a different kind of guilt, she smiled brightly as she said she made them herself and I felt like a bad person. Sakura was, hands down, the nicest person I had ever met and I was her first friend, her first friend who was about to say his revenge was more important. It made me feel bad but my family needed to be avenged, I did not, however, need a friend.

"Sasuke-san." She called to me.

"Hn." I replied.

She smiled shyly before taking a breath, as if to gather her courage before speaking. "Sasuke-san." She repeated, "I know you are trying to learn medical ninjutsu and I will help you." My eyes went wide and again the strange pink haired girl shocked me. "I will teach you all I can, I'm not an expert. But I want something in return." I was curious now and when she did not immediately carry on I prompted her.

"What do you want?" That fire, the same one that I saw last week, entered her eyes. "I want you to teach me all you know about taijutsu. I know how to sense and hear the attacks coming, but its no good if I cannot react properly or quickly enough." I was slightly taken aback again. Her dedication to her goal was another thing that made us similar, I knew I would jump on this chance, it would appease my guilt from both sides, I would be working to avenge my family while still being able to not let down my friend. But there was one thing.

"I also want you to teach me how to fight blind, to hear attacks." It was something I had been thinking of since last weekend. _That man _had a Sharingan unlike any other, it had pulled me into a world of black and red the last time I had met them. If I learnt to fight without the need to see, it could give me another advantage. Most ninja learn to read someones attacks by looking into their eyes, something that wouldn't work with _that man_. If I was to learn how to read his movements by the slightest sounds he made...

She grinned brightly. "Then you have to teach me the basic signs of ninjutsu and the signs for the academy three." She bargained, I furrowed my eyebrows, the academy three was the substitution, illusion clones and hedge, sure she could use the substitution but the illusion clones and hedge needed visual aid. She also only asked for me to teach her the _signs_, she never asked me to teach her how to _do_ them. If you though about it I was getting the better deal, she got to learn only the minimum of what they taught at the academy, enough to pass, not enough to be successful. With only knowing this much, with only knowing what I could teach her, she would be killed on her first mission out of the village. I didn't like that idea but I couldn't stop her, and it was better if I taught her than her needing it and not knowing. For a brief second I felt anger towards her father for not teaching her how to defend herself.

"Come on Sasuke-san, I'll even bring lunch with some kind of tomato ever lesson." She mistook my silence as hesitation, when I agreed and that same stunning smile overtook her face I understood why her father did it. Ninja life would taint this girl in front of me, it will crush any innocence she has left and leave something else it her place. But for my training, for my revenge, for my clan, I needed to taint her.

"Itadakimasu, Sasuke-san." She said smiling as she picked up her chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu, Sakura." I said.

* * *

We had set up a meeting the next day to train, she said that she would be here at noon, She said that Hinata would drop her off but had to leave to to some errands and couldn't stay. I was relieved, I liked to train hard and the regiment I had set up for Sakura could be considered brutal to someone as soft-hearted as Hyuuga Hinata. Sakura could do it though, she was strong, she was determined and she need to be pushed to be better. _Lucky she knew some medical ninjutsu, she'll sure need it._

Sakura was wearing a shorter kimono to train in. It's sleeves were short and it reached to just above her knees. It was in a dark blue, it was not something ideal to train in but it would do for now, she would learn what clothes were best to train in herself.

When Hinata had left we started with my medical ninjutsu training, Sakura healed me as she had done before, but this time she did it slowly. She talked all the way through, she told me what she was doing, asked me questions, I didn't know the answer to most of them, which made me scowl but I did know a few. She had brought scrolls for me to read on some of the basics.

I showed her some very basic endurance exercises, running laps, sit ups and push ups. A hundred of each. She got started and I sat down on the blanket eating lunch, fried tomato and spinach on plain rice origiri, while I read the scrolls. Every now and then I'd glance up and comment on her form, it sucked, or ask her what something meant. After two and a half hours of reading, I still hadn't finished reading all the scrolls but Sakura had finished her exercises. I was slightly impressed even as she panted on her knees where she stayed after doing the last push up. I didn't think she would be able to do it, sure it was sloppy, not done properly, she took breaks every ten minutes and she did her push ups on her knees, but over all it was better then I thought it would be. With training she would be able to do this in half that time by next month, if she trained everyday.

I let her have a five minute break, letting her eat something and drink a whole bottle of water, before I got her to stand up, I had to physically move her stance, her fighting stance was too much like the Hyuuga's. I knew she was a Hyuuga but that stance only worked for someone who wielded the Byakugan, without the Byakugan the stance had too many opening that could be used against her.

I taught her to punch first and was slightly surprised to see that it held more power then mine, however the technique was flawed in some area's, she put her whole body into a punch which was fine, if it hit every time. If she would miss it would throw her off balance enough for her enemy to defeat her. She also favoured her right hand.

Her kicks were the opposite, they had perfect form but lacked any sort of power, her only saving grace was that she could use both just as perfectly, yet powerless, as the other.

I started her on kicking the pole two hundred, _left kick, right kick, left kick, right kick_... I went back to reading.

* * *

Sakura was improving quickly in her training, me on the other hand, I scowled, I had yet to move on from reading. Sakura could only spend the weekend out of the compound so we only got two days a week to train together. It was true that we both had been training away from each other but while she learnt in leaps and bounds I was still reading. My aggression was now becoming more prominent that before Sakura started her endurance, which was now simply warm ups to her, she gave me a quiz, I got three questions wrong.

_"Are you fustrated?"..."No."..."Have you improved?"..."No." _and embarrassingly_, "what is the most important muscle in your body?"..."The brain."..."No, its the heart. The brain is an organ idiot."_

I doubled Sakura's work load and then reread the heart scroll and asked for one on the brain at the library on monday.

* * *

Sakura's birthday fell on a Saturday, she was thrown a party by her clan, thirteen was a big thing for ninja clan's. It marked the end of childhood and the beginning of a life as a ninja. Sakura may not have been a ninja, but she was still the Hyuuga heiress and it was to the disappointment of the Hyuuga clan. Sakura had once told me that she had disappointed the whole clan when she was born and her mere presence upsets them all. Being forced to go to her party was just another thing that made them dislike their heiress.

Sasuke was invited and though he did not want to attend, he still remembered his father talking about the bad blood that ran between the Uchiha and the Hyuuga families, Sakura was his friend. No, Sakura was his best friend.

He arrived a little late and after showing the invitation to the Hyuuga guards he passed without a problem. The compound was filled to the brim with Hyuuga's, everywhere were Hyuuga eyes and Hyuuga hair all wearing the same bland Hyuuga colors. Sakura was easy to spot with her bright green kimono and shocking red obi, for the first time she was wearing shoes and her hair, instead of flowing down her back, was pinned up in an elaborate style. She greeted Hyuuga after Hyuuga, there was a man by her side, he looked around her age, he had long brown hair and Hyuuga eyes. He shadowed her, watching her every move, his face was blank but his eyes held a softness as he gazed at her.

I saw his gaze harden and his posture stiffen, his body looked as if he was ready to dive in front of Sakura if need be. I turned slightly to see what was the cause of his sudden tension, all I saw was Hinata with a girl. The little girl looked young, five or six maybe, she had long brown hair and the cold lavender of every Hyuuga. Unlike everyone else who wore the bland of white and dusty colors she wore black, it was a beautiful kimono yes but not something worn to the birthday party of a sister. More like worn to a funereal of someone you were happy to see go and the only reason you were even there was to rub it into their cold dead body, that you won and still lived. This must have been Hinata and Sakura's youngest sister, Hanabi.

Hinata and Hanabi made their way over to Sakura and they all stood across from each other. They all appeared so different, in looks and personality.

Sakura stood proud and happy smiling to everyone and no one. She was inviting, comforting, warm and kind. She was an open book that said she did not feel comfortable here, with her clan celebrating her thirteenth birthday. However her smile was not fake or forced. Her shining long pink hair and green eyes stood out like a sore thumb in the room full of Hyuuga's.

Standing to Sakura's right was Hinata, she stood shyly, eyes darting from Sakura to Hanabi to the boy who was standing slightly behind Sakura. She too was an open book like Sakura. I could tell she was nervous and uncomfortable, she too stuck out like a sore thumb, not as much as Sakura though, her short dark purple hair was uncommon. Though I had seen a few Hyuuga, one or two, with dark colored hair I had yet to see a female Hyuuga with short hair, even most of the males had long brown hair.

Then there was Hanabi, she stood and down right glared and Sakura, she didn't hid her contempt for Sakura. It was clear that as Hanabi stood, how she walked and even how she moved to brush a strand of her long brown hair, that she was a fighter. She was a ninja and a good one if I had to take a guess. Sakura had not really talked about Hanabi and Sasuke had never met her but it was clear that Hanabi loathed her eldest sister. This girl was unlike her sisters, she was not an open book, she was a cold, steel safe. She was the perfect child ninja in the making. She also looked as if she belonged in the Hyuuga clan, sane her black clothing she blended in with the crowd perfectly.

As I watch the three together I noticed how similar they were in their different ways. Each had an outstanding feature on their face, Sakura's was her large forehead, it was slightly larger then average. Hinata's was her eyes, though they were the same as every other Hyuuga's present hers was larger than everyone elses. Hanabi's were her check bones, the were larger, more defined and made her face look older even with the baby fat that was still present. Their hair was another difference each a different style and each a different color. they even wore different kimonos, Hanabi's were as stated before, black, a bold color for a Hyuuga, it as also short, it went to her knees and the sleeves stopped at her elbows. It was plain sane the one dark red rose that was stitched into the front left breast. Hinata's was light blue, it was long too, it covered her feet, trailing behind her slightly and her hands to even the very tips of her fingers. Her obi was white and her kimono held no designs. Sakura's was a mixture of both light and bold colors. Though her kimono was a stunning green it was not dark, it was brighter and held more color that any of the Hyuuga colors, which all looked had most of their color sucked out. She had the pink flowers, which I'd been told were cherry blossoms, or sakura petals, stitched up the side of her kimono. It reached down to her ankles before it stopped and the loose sleeves stopped at her wrists. Her crimson red obi stood out just as much as her hair and though it was closer to the Hyuuga Hanabi's was further from the Hyuuga style, it was Sakura in her beautiful, slightly color questioning, kimono that the Hyuuga's looked distasteful at.

It was as if time froze slightly, the chatter, that was already at a polite volume, seemed to become quiet even more and I saw many activated Byakugan's or Hyuuga's looking discretely at the sisters.

It was Hanabi who spoke first, her voice had not yet lost that high pitch so it still sounded childish though her tone was cold. "Sakura." Hanabi spat her name like it was dirty, I saw a few clan members smile. "Imouto, how are you? Are you enjoying yourself?" Hanabi sneered at the first words from Sakura's mouth, Sakura was a polite as ever though. "I'd enjoy myself a lot more if you weren't here." Hanabi's words cruel and her tone venomous, but Sakura's smile did not slip. "You are such a joker Hana-nee, without the birthday girl there would be no reason to celebrate."

"If you were gone I'd have _plenty_ to celebrate. I don't even know why we are here, you are not a ninja, you will never _be_ a ninja. You are a _disgrace_ to the Hyuuga name."

"Hanabi!" The grinning clan members faltered at the booming voice. Everyone made way as a man walked through, he looked like an older male version of Hanabi. By the way the Hyuuga parted and bowed as he passed, this must have been the three sisters father, the Hyuuga clan head.

As if rehearsed they all turned to their father, each as graceful as the other, bowed and spoke "Otou-sama."

"Hanabi, apologise to the guest and your eldest sister then leave, do not come back until you have changed out of that dreadfully thing and into something more suitably festive." Hanabi gritted her teeth and did as her father instructed and bowing to the crowd, she hesitated before doing the same for Sakura. Sakura would not know the difference but with Her father still there she had to obey. She walked briskly off after bowing to her father.

"Hinata, make sure that what Hanabi picks is appropriate." Hinata bowed, replying, "Hai, otou-sama." She too left. All the Hyuuga left, afraid that they would be the next one the Hyuuga head turned on.

I approach Sakura when her father left, he had said a few words to her before following the guest out.

"You were watching." It was the male that spoke, his eyes were narrowed at me. He scrutinised everything, from my causal shirt, to my dark hair and my dark, non-Hyuuga eyes. He lingered on my eyes.

"Hn. Everyone was watching." At my voice Sakura grinned.

"Sasuke-san, you made it." The boy's eyes flickered to Sakura then to me.

"What is your name?" He asked stepping forward.

"It's common curtsey to give your name when asking for someone else's."

Sakura cut in before he could reply, "Sasuke-san this is my cousin Neji, Neji-nii, this is Sasuke, my friend." I felt a bit of smugness when she introduced him to me, he must have noticed too because he frowned slightly.

"Neji-nii, will you give my a second with Sasuke-san? I will join you in a moment." He was about to protest but thought better of it and instead he said an affirmative, bowed and left us alone. I could tell he was close though, just out of hearing distance and ready to race back at Sakura's call.

"I know you do not truly wish to be here Sasuke-san but I'm glad you are here. I thank you for coming and if you really must you can leave at anytime." She said it softly, not liking them but still being selfless, thinking of me first. It was annoying.

"Hn. I brought you a present." I said, ignoring her, I tugged her sleeve until she had her palm open. I laid a necklace, it had one charm on a delicate gold chain. The charm was large, slightly bigger then a ryo and was shaped as an apple that held a Jade gem. I thought of her when I saw it, it was bigger then normal necklaces and it didn't hold a expensive diamond, but it fit her.

She was feeling it, _This was stupid, she couldn't see, I should of just gotten her a book, no she couldn't see, what about cake, she said she liked cake. Of course there would be cake here already. What about-_

My thought was cut off by Sakura.

"Is this an apple?" She said facing me before giggling and smiling. "It better be green." She said softly and I smirked.

"Aa."

"Could you help me put it on?" She asked giving it back and turning around, I made quick work of doing it up. She turned back around and gave me my smile.

"Thank you Sasuke-san." She said.

"Sasuke." I said without thought, "Just Sasuke, Sakura."

She grinned again as I held my sleeve under her hand, she took it lightly. Though her family was crazy, her cousin was overprotective and her father was wary, I stayed by her side until everyone had left, until her birthday was over. And even as she had said countless time that I could go, I stayed with my friend.

* * *

Sasuke's first lesson on fighting blind did not involve fighting at all. He stood in the middle of a training ground with a blindfold on. Before he had placed the blindfold on he had seen Sakura with four rocks in her hands. She did not attack him like he thought she would once he couldn't see, instead she simply told him to listen carefully and count the bounces before throwing the rock away from us. The first one was difficult to count, she had thrown the rock towards a dirt patch to the left of him as opposed to the grassy right side. The exercise started hard then got near impossible as the rock bounced away. He knew his answer was off, probably by a lot, but lying would only cheat himself, so as embarrassing as it was he said in a clear voice, "Five, I heard five." Sakura did not laugh, she simply said to listen again and through the next one in the same dirt patch.

They did this for an hour and as much as he'd like to say he'd improved, even slowly, it would be a lie. It varied, one time he'd hear up to ten the next time he'd hear three. He thought it was over when he felt Sakura's hands on his arm, but instead of telling him that was all and he could take off the blindfold, she turned him. He was now facing the other way. "Listen, count the bounces." She repeated before throwing the next one. He almost smiled, if she said that they would stop he would have refused.

"How many bounces?" I could hear the smile in her voice, she knew I had not been paying attention.

"Hn. One." I grumbled.

"Listen, count the bounces." She repeated before she threw another rock.

* * *

I trained Sakura on Saturdays from noon to five, she was getting good, her endurance had doubled, still no where near my level but it was that much closer. It only took a half a session with me for Sakura to learn every hand sign and memorised the pattern of the academy three, though she didn't try the illusion clone or the hedge, she successfully used the substitution ninjutsu on her first try. It surprised me, it took even me three tries to get it done.

Today was the first day that I would spar with her, she was much better than I thought she'd be and I couldn't wait until I was able to fight without sight, with the only thing that I needed was the sound of a opponent. Even with her being able to hear where and how I was attacking she was beaten, badly, she did not have the reflexes to counter every one of my attacks. I enjoyed it and she knew this too, but as I was the teacher there was little she could do about it.

"Your reflexes suck." I rubbed it in as she got to her feet the tenth time in the last hour.

* * *

"Your reflexes suck." She gloated as I rubbed my arm where the last stone hit. I now regretted my teasing. It was the next day and Sakura had abandoned the bounce approach and took up a much more painful approach. I stood and dodged as she threw the rocks, not at the dirt patch, but instead at me. She said that I should hear them and be able to dodge them with my superior reflexes. It wasn't even that she was throwing too many, too fast, she through three every five seconds, just different intervals. And that is what hurt the most because I was getting hit way more then I was dodging. I could hear the rocks whistling as they flew towards me, sometimes I would be able to hear where they were coming from and where they were aiming before dodging in time, but most of the time I was hit. Hard.

I loved the challenge, I rarely got to do something challenging before I had met Sakura, my training was limited, I worked on mostly speed and strength but never ventured pass that.

"We'll stop in a minute and do the bounce test, I guess we can come back after more of the easy test." I gritted my teeth, she was baiting me and, as sad as it was, it was working.

"No. I'll get it." I yelled.

"Okay, if you dodge every stone for the remaining 10 seconds we'll carry on." She said.

"Fine." I said, all I had to do was dodge the last six.

10, The whistling of the first rock flying towards me. _Left high_, 9, I went right the next one was a second behind, _right low_, 8, I had no time to step left, 7, _jump_. The third was thrown softer so the whistle was quiet but I caught it in time, 6, _duck_. 5, _roll left_, 4, then I heard the next rock coming in fast. 3, _Jump_. I grinned I did it. _Whoosh, bang_. ...1. I fell over from the shock and force of the last one. Seventh, that was the seventh.

"And you were so close too, you concentrated too much on the count and forgot to listen."

I stood up and glared at her, though my eyes were covered and she couldn't see.

"Remember Sasuke, _Listen,_ and count." I felt myself grin despite the pain in my head, what an amazing girl.

"Hn."

* * *

It was May before anyone knew it. Sasuke had a new weekend routine that he had settled into. Both he and Sakura were progressing slowly in their training. Sakura was starting, without Sasuke's knowledge, had been training her flexibility in secret and with an impossible looking bend and a well timed kick had beaten him once. That was a sign to stop going easy on her and he beat her into the ground for the rest of the day. Sasuke was progressing slowly in his medical studies, it put aside to focus on hearing attacks. Sasuke thought he was ready to start fighting blind but on the one time Sakura fought him blind she had him on his back in ten seconds flat. She had told him that when he had achieved a perfect score on the bounce test he was ready to start fighting blind.

_"That test is impossible to get a perfect score at."_

_"Then you throw the rock and I'll count."_

_I smirked, this would be easy, I thought before I threw it and counted its bounces to myself to see just how wrong she was._

_"Thirty seven bounces, it hit a tree there and then it bounced twice before rolled three times and it is now there." She pointed to the tree the rock hit and then where the rock was sitting a foot away from the tree. It was truly amazing, she was right._

Even though I had yet to pass the bounce test I was getting better and I could go through the dodge test for five minutes without getting hit.

It was the first lesson in May that Sakura introduced me to the strike test. It was simply the dodge test reversed. I threw rocks at her while I was blindfolded. We worked on it all day and I hadn't been able to hit her. Not even close.

* * *

It was June when Sakura added a new technique to his learning table. On one hand he felt slightly overloaded, he was having trouble mastering his blind fighting and he had made no progress with his medical ninjutsu. On the other hand he had no idea that Sakura was so knowledgable, she knew many things that he did not. He was glad that they were friends, not just because she helped him get stronger but because...He didn't really realise how lonely he was. He was still on the fence about learning something new, starting something when he had so many unfinished things seemed wrong. But when she told him that it would help him with his strike test, he was ready to learn chakra sensing.

* * *

Sasuke's birthday did not fall on the weekend but on a Tuesday, he went to the academy and was hounded by screaming girls, surrounded by idiots and dumbfounded by how easy his class now was for him. He some times felt like he was wasting his time sitting in this class. After five hours at the academy he went to his private training ground where he spent a few hours training.

He went home at seven and found a box sitting in front of his door. He felt a faint chakra signature that he recognised. This box was from Sakura, who had snuck out in the middle of the week to deliver it herself, there was a strange lightness in my chest at the thought. I shook it off and picked up the box, taking it inside.

Once inside I set the box on the table and opened it, the large container was the first thing I saw. I picked it up and opened it, my stomach growled when I smelt the food, it was some type of seasoned chicken in a tomato sauce on rice, it both looked and smelt delicious. Though I was hungry I was too curious to wait and I looked back into the box. The next thing I took out was a small white box, curious I opened it and smiled, there was a small vanilla cup cake in the box, which I now knew was a cup cake box. It was plain, it didn't have icing or cream. I still wouldn't be eating it but instead of throwing it out I put it in my freezer. I went back to the box and this time I pulled out a book, it was kind of large, not too big though, and it was black and hard covered. The title said, '90 ninja tools and weapons.' I smiled again. I placed it down on the table and got the last two thing from the box, they were photo frames, one was larger then the other. It was of Sakura and me, we were sitting on the picnic blanket in my private training ground, Sakura was in the middle of laughing, her eyes were shining brightly and her hand was over her mouth trying to stifle her laughter, I was sitting next to her, leaning back and smirking at her. I remembered the day it was taken, Hinata was there and now that I though about it I did remember seeing a flash. I smiled and put it down, _I'd put it on the wall or something_. The second frame was smaller, half the size of the last one, it was of Sakura and I again, this time we were laying down next to each other, we were asleep, she laid with her head on my shoulder and I had my head on hers. This one I didn't know when or where it was taken or by who. It must have been Hinata but I couldn't be sure. This one was going to go beside my bed. Sakura was a good person.

* * *

The book Sasuke had gotten for his birthday was very informative, there were so many ninja weapons that were not even touched upon, he spent the rest of the week just reading about the first weapon, senbon, after reading the information on the book I didn't think this weapon was good for me. As fast as I was, I was not fast enough to use senbons on that man. And the hits had to be accurate, a hit too far out will leave your enemy alive, it required a knowledge of the human body, something I had thanks to my medical study. Senbon still wouldn't help me achieve my goal. But in the mean time if I came across a person who used senbon I will have some knowledge on how to counter or dodge them.

* * *

Sasuke knew that Sakura was an overly nice person who tended to go overboard on things, she had shown him that with her lunches she still brought everyday and her training methods. So when he arrived at his training ground at six on Saturday morning that weekend and she was sitting there with a small buffet breakfast, it wasn't that surprising. It made him smile and he even smiled when Sakura got out another cupcake, it was the same as the one he had gotten on his birthday except for the candle on top.

"Make a wish Sasuke."

Just for a second before I made my wish, the same one that I made all the time, I looked at the pink haired girl sitting across from me smiling. For a second I wanted to wish for her, but instead I wish to avenge my family like always.

"Now eat it." She said sternly after I had blown out the candle.

"Hn." I replied eating a piece of bread instead. She smiled, I'm sure she knew that I hadn't eaten it but she left it be.

I smiled then. She was the best friend.

* * *

New years came fast. There was a festival for new years like every year, instead of being at home reading the rest of my ninja tools and weapons book, I was half way through. I was standing outside the Hyuuga compound. Sakura was allowed to stay at the festival for three hours. She had also conned her father into letting her out without a guard for those three hours. She then sprung on him that she was leaving at ten. "He gave me his word as a ninja and father." She had asked me to join her, I couldn't refuse. _"I mean if you don't come I'll be all alone, defenceless. Think of all the people who would take advantage of a young, pink haired _blind_ girl. And what kind of man would let that happen." _He _really_ couldn't refuse.

When Sakura came out, it was at ten on the dot. I wasn't all that surprised, she was always on time. She looked stunning, she did most of the time, this was the second time I had seen her with her hair up, there were held together with chopsticks. Her kimono was, for the first time, plain. It was a gold color and had a silver obi, the material of both shimmered in the low lights. They were also long, the longest ones I'd seen her wear, the touch the ground lightly and they covered half her hands. She wore no make up but it wasn't needed.

I went over to her and put my arm under her hand and she took my sleeve lightly grinning. "Sasuke."

"Hn." I said through a light smile.

We walked around most of the night, it was late and most of the people had gone to watch the performers before the fireworks started. Sakura and I walked around, we went to a little stall that sold ramen, the man was one of the few things open. He grinned at us and asked for our order, two miso, and then left to make it. We talked a little about training, I had some ideas about counters that, with her flexibility, could be usable for her. She talked about some tree excercise that would help me will my medical studies and a bell test. She was about to tell me what the bell test involves when the man came back with our order.

We were almost done when Sakura commented that it was nearly the countdown and that she wanted to go to their training ground when we were done.

"Aa." I agreed, there were no people there and the fireworks were still visible. Secretly, Sasuke liked to watch the fireworks from the roof of his house, he didn't like the noise but the sight was amazing. It was after Sasuke paid for their meal, much to the protest of Sakura, and they were leaving that the man made a comment.

"Its sweet to see even kids have someone to kiss this New Year." I felt myself turn red and I saw a blush on Sakura's face too.

We left quickly, we were halfway to the training ground when the sky lit up. I paused and Sakura turned to me.

"We missed the countdown, its the new year." She smiled still and leaned up and kissed my cheek. I turned red again. "Happy New Year Sasuke." I squeezed her hand, _when hand I took it? _And smiled back at her. "Happy New Years Sasuke." It was then I realised, that Sakura was not just someone that I was using to get strong enough to kill that man, and maybe she wasn't a friend, maybe, just _maybe_, she was a little more.

* * *

**Yes. Completion, victory lap. I did it, I did it, I did it. This chapter goes out to my Eternal Rival. Griffindork93. No "thousand years of death" for me. Anyway, next chapter will be up in a week, hopefully. Review, Fav and Follow.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: blah..dont own Naruto...blah**

* * *

On the first Saturday of the new year I taught Sakura the counter moves I came up with. The first two she got without much of a problem. It was the third she had trouble and it wasn't for lack of trying or lack of skill, it was because her clothes got in the way, her kimono, even the short ones that she wore to their training sessions, got it the way. They were too loose and they made the third counter move easy to _recounter_. He got so frustrated, she wasn't taking it seriously, if she was she'd be getting it, if she was her clothing wouldn't matter, if she was she'd _take off that damn kimono_. Without his permission his mind supplied him with an image of a nude Sakura in the same battle stance ready to do counter three on me. He quickly shook his head, not what he meant. But his mind kept traveling back to the gutter, it was annoying. He had to keep his head, he _would_ keep his head.

Sakura let out a frustrated growl and I almost let out a sigh. She was serious, she looked one off tearing of her kimono, I blushed at the thought of my little fantasy coming true.

"We'll come back to it another time, we'll move on to the others." I said changing my stance.

"Next week." She said it as if it was a promise.

* * *

The next day was Sasuke's training day, Sakura was teaching him the tree test. He imagined it would be using healing chakra on a tree. So when Sakura walked over to a tree and then processed to walk up that tree, he was stunned.

"This is a very basic chakra control excercise, all you have to do is channel chakra to your feet and make them stick, too much you'll break the tree, too little you'll fall." She called down to me as she walked back down.

She stepped back and told me to try it. Her soft voice talked to me, telling me to concentrate on my chakra, on the flow, them direct it to my feet.

I felt for my chakra, I hadn't tried this before, I used my chakra, sure, but I never really thought about how. I knew it came mostly from my torso area, I thought it came from my stomach. But as a stood there looking into myself, I found it, not in my abdomen, but in my chest, in my heart. I had read that there was different places chakra can be stored, I had even read about a woman, a Sannin, who could channel chakra from her original chakra reserve point to a second chakra storage point. Most people held their chakra, instinctually, in their abdomens, as that is the center of their being. It also said that it was rare, but not impossible, for some to hold their chakra in other places.

I shook my head, I needed to concentrate, I took some of the chakra and directed it to my feet, I still remembered that non sense book I had read around a year ago. I had to keep my chakra steady, make sure I didn't lose any. When I felt the chakra in my feet I opened my eyes and started to walk up the tree, I got three steps before making a crater in the tree and falling down. I landed on my feet. I looked at the dent that was right in front of my face, mocking me.

"Try it again, it may help to run." She said to me, she was sitting down, like she knew this would take a while. I huffed, I'd get this in no time.

* * *

It was friday and I _still_ hadn't gotten it, I could run up to halfway before falling, every spare moment I had was used trying to do this. It got tiring after a few tries too, it also felt like I was scraping out the last of my chakra sometimes. As I got closer to the top I felt my chakra waning. I realised that my chakra reserve couldn't handle running up the tree. Which meant that I had to train harder, I started with five hundred laps, push up, sit up and then I'd find a low branch and do some pull ups.

I needed to up my reserve.

* * *

Sakura frowned at me, She had just finished healing me, I was worse than she'd ever seen me, I felt pain all over, even now that I was already healed, She told me it was ghost pain. I had been in pain so long that even with it gone, I still felt the lingering of it.

"What were you doing?" She asked me, it was Saturday and I had worked through Friday, slept in the training ground for two hours and then carried on. I had collapsed ten minutes before she had gotten here. The worse part is that my chakra reserve didn't feel any bigger, I felt sore and tired and hungry but I didn't feel as if I had more chakra. In fact I felt like I had less.

I didn't want to admit it but I knew she wouldn't stop until I had told her, and I was too tired to be stubborn.

"I was trying to...increase my chakra reserve, it didn't work."

She giggled and my head whipped to her, she had never laughed at me, not once. Not when we were doing the bounce test, not when we were doing the dodge test not even during first few strike tests where I was unable to hit her once. But now she giggled and I felt slightly betrayed, why was she laughing at me?

"Your so silly Sasuke, you have to rest after training for your chakra to build back up, and you know that physical energy is only one part of building up your chakra reserve. You must have been very tired to forget that." She smiled her bright smile and then pulled out a container and handed it to me. "Eating will help give you some strength and after that you should sleep for a few hours, I'll do my warm ups and wake you when I'm done." She smiled at me, handing me the basket and stood. I smiled, she was so... I was asleep before I finished my thought.

* * *

When I woke up I found that my stomach hurt, it was growling, my back hurt but at least I was warm and rested. The first thing I noticed was that it was late. I knew that Sakura now could do her warm ups in an hour but it looked later than one, it looked closer to four. The next thing I noticed was that I had a blanket on, the picnic blanket to be exact. It was warm, even though it was thin, but then again it was kind of warm outside.

"208...209...210..." I heard a soft voice grit out. Instantly my head whipped to the source.

On a tree branch, ten feet above the ground, was Sakura. Her feet were stuck to the underside of the tree branch and she was pulling herself up to touch her toes. She was sweating, it dripped onto the ground.

"220...221...222..." I could hear the strain in her voice. I was also slightly awed, she may have been not as fast or strong as me, she may have lacked sight and her clans kekkei genkai. But she was dedicated and smart and could wield chakra better than anyone Sasuke knew. _She would make a great ninja._

"246...247...248...240, 240-9...2, 200, 200 and 50!"

After the last one she walked slowly down the tree. I sat up as she walked over to me, she was panting and sweating. She looked tired but she still beamed at me.

"How are you feeling?" She asked me as she sat down next to me, she laid her hands on my and the familiar green light lit her hands as her chakra washed through me.

"Hn. Fine." I grunted out but almost doubled over when a shooting pain shot through my stomach. It felt as if it was curling into it's self.

Sakura's face turned concerned and she grabbed out something out of the basket and handed it to me. It was food and I was nearly drooling, it was such a shame that I didn't even get to think about what she had made this time, in all the time she had brought lunch she had never brought the same thing twice. I didn't know there were so many ways to have tomato. Instead of studying first, I started eating in a frenzied state, I couldn't get it into my body fast enough and soon it was gone. I was still hungry though and before I could even give too much thought about it my empty plate was swapped with a full one. Which held some type of tomato pie. Just before I started my feeding frenzy again a thought crossed my mind. _She would be a even better wife._

* * *

Sakura taught me how to meditate on Sunday, she said that I had to do it for at least an hour or two everyday. I had at first been against it, I had slept through all of Saturday and had taught her nothing. She refused though, she said that I needed more training in control then she did in speed and strength. So we meditated, it was hard and it took me an hour to relax, I wasn't use to sitting still with nothing to do for hours. It took me four hours to do it, but it didn't feel like a waste of time because I could feel my chakra reserve had gotten bigger. And it had even fulled back up and by the time we left, I was able to almost reach the top of a tree, it wasn't the tallest by far, but it was progress.

* * *

Sakura had given me three plants, they all looked the same but she said they were different. She said that one helped to clot blood, one was poisoinous when it was eaten and one went great in a salad. She gave me a herable book and asked me to identify each of them. I took ten minutes to complete it. I gave Sakura the one for clotting blood. She felt it, smelt it then nodded, then I gave her the one that was for salad, she did the same as the last, she felt it first the she smelt it. She then put it ontop of the left over rice. I smiled handing her the next and last one. The poisoinous one. She felt it, smelt it and then, to Sasuke's horror, she ate it.

"Now if you were right, I'd be dead right now... Don't eat that rice."

* * *

Sakura was direct but she could be subtle, in fact she was either extremely one or the other. Her fighting style, the one she developed with me was direct, close contact and strong. But her ninja style was different, she knew she had faults, many of them but she knew her strengths well. She used her strengths to cover her faults, _"Until there is no faults to cover." _She had once told him. She had a way of going off the grid, she hid her chakra like a pro, most ninja didn't know how to do that, he didn't. She could mask her sound perfectly, _"When you become good enough to hear everything around you, you get self concese of how much noise you make."_ And as impossible as it sounded with her bright pink hair, she could blend into her surroundings. With her you didn't know you were in danger until it was too late. She was good, better then anyone in his class, in some things better than him, but with all her good traits she was not a great fighter, sure she would beat the losers in his class but she couldn't really beat any high ranking ninja. Not on just her skill level and her sneaky-ness. This is where her intelagence came in.

We sat in the training ground on February's first Sunday, there was a Shogi board in the middle of us, each of their pieces had a little tinge of their chakra on it. Sasuke didn't know what playing a stupid game had to do with his training, all of the training courses Sakura gave where incomplete and each weekend they changed their study regiment. It was both frustrating and confusing. The academy taught that it was good to have a few things that you were great at rather that a lot of things that you were kind of good at.

I told her as much and I got a beaming smile in return as she made the first move and answered.

"My father doesn't want me to fight, but he is not so heartless as to totally take my dream away. He thinks that if I was a strategist, it would appease me enough so that I have my dream and I am out of harms way."

I moved my piece, Sakura, as much as she loved her immediate family, even Hanabi, did not often talk of them. It was a little because, being from a big clan, she knew about mine and didn't want to bring up any bad memories. But it was mostly because they simply did not understand her. She hadn't said it but it was clear in how she acted around them. Hanabi hated her and didn't understand why she was their fathers favourite when she was nothing like a Hyuuga. Her father just wanted to protect her, wanted what was best and thought that a sheltered life was it. And even Hinata, who was closest to Sakura didn't really understand her. Sure Hinata admired her elder sister but didn't see why she was the way she was. Hinata didn't understand why Sakura wanted to fight because Hinata didn't want to hurt anyone. She couldn't understand why she went against their fathers wishes because she just could not let anyone down. In fact with how much she Supported Sakura, Hinata knew her the least. I got her. I got the drive, the need to pass the point of great and enter the realm of _better_. I strived to be better than that man. Sakura strived to be better that her clan.

"One day he laid out a shogi board and we played, for hours, I lose a lot but surprisingly I won a few games. My father said that it was how you started to develope a smart strategic mind. He told me that all you should need to know is what your piece's can do to win. You don't need to know what the other person is planning or even what their pieces can do at the start. You figure it out as you go because each time your opponent makes a move you get a little glance of his plan and what his pieces do. The key though, is to make sure you figure out his plan and stop him before he figures out yours and stops you." We were halfway through our game by now and I was really thinking. It was kind of hard to see her plan. She was good, I hadn't played Shogi in a long time, I barely remembered the rules and I knew she was going easy on me.

We played in silence for an hour before we did a few rounds of the bounce test and then the tree test. I never one once but I knew I was getting better.

* * *

"Helps recover chakra faster, Powerful sleep inducer and good for the heart." Sakura had said. Again the three plants looked every similar to each other, two, he was sure, was the same as each other the other.

He was again given the medical herbs book. He took longer this time, sure he wasn't able to poision her this time but he also couldn't let her sleep for the rest of the day.

Even though he took his time he still got two wrong, but at least the one he got right was the sleep drug.

* * *

March marked Sakura's fourteenth birthday. It fell on a Monday and even though Sasuke had remembered there was little he could do about it. He had seen her yesterday and she said that after last year she wasn't going to have a big party. _"In fact,"_ she had said. _"Besides a few hours I wouldn't even see my family." _She didn't say what she was doing and he didn't ask, if she wanted to tell him she would of. Also he didn't want to know how she was spending her day away from him. He found that during the week he missed her, a lot, more than he should. And sometimes he didn't just miss his training partner, sometimes he missed his friend. And it scared him a little, getting so close to someone, what if he lost her, he wasn't yet strong enough to protect her if _that man_ came back. He could take Sakura away from him, he'd be alone again. He'd thought about braking the bond he had with her, thought about one day not being there when she came to the training ground with her bright smiles and large picnic basket. But he was weak, he couldn't do it, at first he thought it was because she had so many training ideas. Then he thought of the times he smiled and laughed around her, when he walked her home, when he ate her cooking, every time he thanked her, he _only_ thanked her.

He was at their training ground, he'd tried training but nothing held his attention for long, his mind would wonder back to Sakura and he would mess up. He dropped to the ground and laid on the grass, it was uncomfortable, he missed the blanket that usually was between him and the ground. He closed his eyes. "Sasuke." He could even imagine her saying his name. "Sasuke." It was so clear like she was there.

"Sasuke, are you going to greet the birthday girl or are you going to just lie there?" My eyes shot open and I sat up. Sakura was here, with that bright smile and that picnic basket. I stood.

"Sakura." I said slightly stunned, she was here and it was Monday.

"Well I'm glad you remember me." She smiled. She handed me the Picnic basket and continued talking, "I hope you don't mind, its take out, I don't cook on my birthday."

I took the basket and automatically set up the blanket. She sat down and I sat across from her.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I'm having a picnic with you." She beamed.

"Your not allowed to be out in the week." I stated.

"I know but to get me to agree to a big party last year my father said that I could do anything I like for my next birthday. I choose to spend it with you." She said simply. I was shocked, was I really that important to her?

"I also wanted to tell you something, but I'll tell you after lunch, I got some ramen from that stand we went to on New Years." She grinned.

I nodded as I took them out and handed her a bowl and took the other bowl from myself. It was just as good as I remembered, I didn't like ramen that much but this was the best I'd ever had. When we were done I turned to Sakura, she too had just finished.

"I wanted to tell you something Sasuke." She repeated her earlier words.

"Aa." I said to prompt her. I was curious about what she wanted to tell me.

"I find myself liking you as more than a friend and I do not want it to hurt our friendship or jeopardise our training." The words were direct and they stunned me for a moment.

"I have to know if you find yourself feeling the same, if not than I shall learn to get over my feelings and settle for being just friends." She then nodded, as if she accepted her own statement, she did it a lot and even though she did it to appear serious she ended up looking child like.

I didn't know what to say, I did like Sakura and I found myself liking her as more than a friend too, but there was so many other things to consider. It wasn't enough to just like each other, I needed to kill that man and then I needed to... What did I need to do after that? There was nothing to do after that man was dead. I'd be free to do whatever with whoever. It was strange, for all the times I had thought of killing that man, of all the times I thought that it would become reality, I had never once thought about what would happen after I hat done it. I'd never thought further than that. it was kill that man, kill that man, kill that man. There was never any after, some part of me thought that I'd never be able to beat him, most thought we'd die together and they would tell stories of the once great Uchiha clan. But there was a tiny part in the back of my mind that hoped, prayed, that I would survive. And then I wanted to see my clan rebuilt. But who would stand next to me? The answer came before I even finished asking, the only person I saw by my side was Sakura. I never saw anyone but her there and I didn't think I'd ever will.

I smiled, I couldn't let her go, she was mine and one day when that man was killed I'd let everyone know, for now it was okay for it to be just between them. "Hn." I replied but I took her hand, I wasn't much for words, but as I saw the brightest smile I have ever seen on her I knew she knew it too. And that was okay, sometimes she talked enough for the both of them.

* * *

"Tell me what this is for." She held out a plant for him to take, then once he had it she gave him the book.

He went through the book and found it, he rilied the information to her. She shook her head and told him to pick it up, to feel it, he did, she told him to smell it, he did again. She then told him to check his information again and to see if it smelt and felt like what was decribed. It turned out that it was not a plant that was toxic to some fish and grew in some secluded areas in snow but a harmless pesty weed found in pumkin patches.

"If there is one thing I know it's. Sight isn't always the answer, just because it's easier, doesn't make it right."

She handed another plant over.

"Tell me what this is for."

* * *

Everything was the same between them, Sakura didn't expect him to do all these different things for her and he liked it. They were still them, Sasuke was still cocky and Sakura was still angry, Sasuke still wanted to kill _that man_ and Sakura still wanted to be a ninja. It had been a month and things were the same, every weekend they meet to train, Sakura was dropped off by Hinata or a few times Neji would drop her off, glaring at Sasuke as her left. Sasuke would set up the picnic that Sakura had made and they'd eat, he'd thank her, like always and then they trained or meditated or played shogi. But sometimes Sakura would give him a kiss on the cheek before going into the Hyuuga gates or he'd take her hand instead of giving her his sleeve. It didn't happen often and it was really only to tell each other they were there. Sasuke often felt alone, isolated and angry, some times he needed to know that someone cared and was there for him. Sakura had never really been treated affectionately because of the Hyuuga ways, because she wasn't wanted there my most. She needed to know that she was wanted somewhere, and every time he grabbed her hand she would give the biggest grin that made his stomach twist. And as annoying as it was, he kind of liked it. And he also kind of liked her a little more. She understood and gave him space but still made sure that he knew she was their, as a partener, a friend and as his _girlfriend_.

* * *

May the sixth was the day that Sasuke finally passed the bounce test, and as Sakura told him he was skeptical, His hearing had gotten good, he could hear things across the room that were whispered but the bounce test just always seemed impossible to master, and it was only his fifth try into the session, they usually did the test for an hour. It had been two minutes and she said he passed, he needed to make sure but she said that he had got them all right, that he had gotten the last two right last time. With these ones too being right there was no doubt, He had finally got it. Sakura said that he was doing so well, he even had hit her a couple of times during the strike test and he had long since passed the dodge test. He was ready to fight blind and Sakura had been getting a lot better, she had come close a few times to beating him but besides the odd lucky win, she had yet to really beat him. With the blind fold on she could win. And she did win, a lot, every time in fact.

* * *

It was by June that He had stumbled onto the page about Katana's in his ninja tools and weapons book, he had been so busy with all his training that he hadn't picked up the book in months. He fell for the sword's the first time he'd seen the picture in the book. The drawing was of a legendary ninja sword, the chakra animal summoning katana, or better known as primal death, the one who wielded it was able to summon chakra animals. The animals, that were made of chakra leaped out as the wielder sliced and they animals would hold the enemy in place while you swiftly cut them. The only down falls were that firstly the sword was either non-existant or lost long ago and secondly it was said that there was a tiger spirit in the sword that killed anyone that touched it with unworthy hands. It's said that he'd appear in front of the unworthy and tear them apart. I read it to Sakura, she said that she could picture be with a sword, "Sakura your blind." She giggled and I chuckled, I got what she meant.

* * *

July twenty-third was Sasuke's birthday, he was now twelve. It was again not on the weekend, he wanted to see Sakura. He had a terrible day, the dead last dobe had tipped something all over him at the end of class, he laughed and ran away before I got a chance to kill him. Then he was suddenly surrounded by screaming girls who wanted to strip him, 'We can't let Sasuke-kun stay in wet clothes. He might catch a cold.'

I easily lost them and ran home, I needed to change and shower before training now. I grinned when I saw the box on my doorstep, I felt Sakura too, her signature lingered. I put the box on the table and had a quick shower. I wanted to be clean before opening my present. My shower took ten minutes and then I was in front of the box again. It was when I had come back did I notice a note. I was curious, Sakura couldn't write, I opened it. The letter was typed, it was from Sakura, I remember she was telling me about the Braille type writer that her father had gotten her for her birthday. It was a type writer for the blind. The letter was short.

_Don't open the box yet. Come to our training ground. _

_I'll be there,_

_Sakura._

I grinned as I took the box and ran out the door.

* * *

I got to the training ground and I saw a picnic, laid out was all my favourite dishes. There was also saw a smiling pink haired girl.

Her pink hair shined in the sun light, it made her look like an angel. She smile was bright as ever. I put the box on the ground by the picnic as I made my way to her.

"Happy birthday Sasuke." She said when I was near her, I wanted to hug her, to hold her but I was unsure of myself. Sure we were dating and had been for a while but I didn't know if it was okay to presume that just because we were dating I could do anything. I didn't have to fret long because she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around my torso. I placed my hands lightly on her back and held her.

I shivered slightly as she trailed her hands up and down my back. "Sakura." I whispered. She was soft and warm and even though she was older than me, she was small. She was a little shorter that me, and though she could rest her head on my shoulder she was still a head shorter. I buried my face into her long pink hair. It was soft too, it also smelt good, I almost let a chuckle escape when I realised her hair smelt like green apples.

We stood there for a few minutes, just holding each other before I gave her a little squeeze then I let go, She smiled and took my hand leading me back to the picnic.

We sat down next to each other, closer than we normally did but it felt right. We ate a little of everything, Sakura had made so much food and all I loved. She was a wonder in the kitchen and one day I swore that I would see her cook in my kitchen. I could picture it already. Sakura tried them too, though she herself wasn't fond of some of the dishes she tried them all with me. We were full before we even made a dent in the food. I smiled when she pulled out a cake. It was a small one, enough for two people. It was also, curiously a slice of tomato, which almost made me laugh. It was red on the outside and a faded red, almost pink, on the top. There was also a few yellow dots for the seeds and had twelve candles.

This time he didn't give a second thought. When Sakura told him to make a wish for the first time in as long as he could remember he wished for something besides avenging his clan. He closed his eyes wished and blew out the candles. _I want Sakura to be my wife someday_.

And as Sasuke opened his eyes and saw a beaming Sakura he knew at this moment all he wanted was her, forever. He ate half of the cake, both cake and frosting was vanilla but it had a bitter after taste of lemon that he liked. Sakura had the other half.

"You can open your present now." She had told him smiling.

He reached over and grabbed the box. He opened it and looked inside, there was a scroll a case and a wooden sword. He picked up the sword first. His breath caught, it was beautiful and it was only a practice sword. It was a sleek black polished wood, it was long too, about the size of his arm, light though, easy to use. It had a red leather handle, it was soft but it kept the sword from slipping out of his hand. And then there was his favourite part, stitched into the red leather, was the Uchiha fan. It was amazing, and it was only a _practice sword_.

"Where did you get it?" I asked breathlessly.

"The sword?"

"Aa."

"Hina-nee and I went to a weapon shop and I picked that one, do you like it?"

"Iie." I shook my head. "I love it." And it was true, this was the best gift I had ever gotten. I remembered a few presents I had gotten and, sadly, the best of them was from that man. But now he had this, and Sakura had given it to him, it mad it even more special. He could have sat and just looked at this sword all day.

Sakura, though, had other plans. "There's more." She said, it was here way of politely hurrying me. I smiled and pulled out the case next.

I opened it with a soft click.

"It's a maintenance kit. I know how you like to keep all of your equipment in order, even the practice stuff." She said. She was right, it was a thing engraved into me, _a blunt kunai couldn't cut_, if they weren't in order than they wouldn't be useful.

I closed the case and took out the scrolls.

The first one was a basic genjutsu scroll.

"Genjutsu?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, its something we don't really cover and it might be useful to you." She shrugged, I nodded, it wouldn't be useful against that mans eye's but it could still be useful.

The next scroll full of different types of katana kata's, it was the biggest scroll and there were so many, simple and advanced.

"Katana kata's." I said and again she shrugged.

"What uses is a sword if you don't know how to use it."

"Aa." It was a true statement.

The last one left me speechless, it was the smallest of the scrolls, it didn't have loads of information and there was only one jutsu on it. Sakura must have been worried that I didn't like it because she started to talk.

"I found it in one of the archives me and Hina-nee where cleaning, it said Uchiha on it and so I thought that I'd give it to you." I didn't reply and went on instinct, I leaned forward and kissed her, it lasted three seconds and she was too shocked to respond but I could care less. I now had the scroll to a jutsu I'd seen my father use a few times.

Sakura was still in shock but was starting to turn red, I felt that my cheeks were a little heated too but I looked back at the scroll and read the title again.

_Pheonix Fireball jutsu._

* * *

A week after Sasuke's birthday, he received a message scroll. He was curious, no one ever sent him anything. And the ninja who had delivered it was a Hyuuga-nin. Sakura was the only one who talked to him regularly from the Hyuuga clan and if there was something she needed to tell him she just told him at practice.

When he opened up the scroll there was a short letter written in elegant caligraphy. _Not Sakura_. He briefly looked at the bottom of the scroll to see who it was from. _Hyuuga Hiashi, Hyuuga Clan Head_.

_What could Sakura's father want to writer to him about?_ He had only met with the Hyuuga once. He did not appear hostile or rude, but he wasn't really welcoming either.

Even more curious he opened the letter.

_Dear Uchiha-san,_

_I am writing to invite you to a dinner at the Hyuuga compound. I have a few things I would like to discuss with you concerning your relationship with my daughter. Please be here at six on Sunday. If you cannot make it please send me a letter with a time to resqedeul._

_Hyuuga Hiashi,_

_Hyuuga Clan Head._

Well that was worrying, Sakura hadn't said that her father had wanted to meet him. In fact, Sasuke was under the impression that Sakura hadn't told her father, he was sure she had told Hinata though. Sakura, he had found, told her sister most things. But he also knew that Sakura did not lie, not to the ones that she cared most about. So if her father asked her if there was something going on with the, she would tell him. He would have to ask her on Saturday but right now the Hyuuga-nin was still waiting for his answer.

"I'll be there." I told the nin as her raced off.

Why did this feel like it was going to end badly.

* * *

It was weird, on Saturday Sakura told him that her father had not asked and did not know about there relationship. She had also said that her father had yet to even tell them about a dinner. His bad feeling increased.

* * *

It was a smiling Sakura that meet him at the Hyuuga compound gates. He smiled in return, he found himself smiling a lot around her. She took his hand as she greeted him, he squeezed it and replied his own greeting. He was early, ten minutes early to be exact so Sakura and he took there time walking to the Hyuuga main house.

They were halfway to the main house when they saw a frantically running Hinata. She spotted them and ran over. She looked hysterical, she was talking fast, half her words where sobbed and every second sentence was, _"I'm so sorry,"_ or _"I didn't know"_ or _"Please forgive me."_

"Hinata, what are you jabbering about? Some of us can't understand you. Take a deep breath and start over." Sakura said, she was smiling lightly, this behaviour seemed to be common place with Hinata.

Hinata took a deep breath, calming herself. "I know why otou-sama invited Uchiha-san." she said grimly. "And your not going to like it."

* * *

Hinata was right, He didn't like it, he didn't understand it, not until Sakura grimly explained it. Sakura knew what her Otou-sama was thinking but she still didn't agree.

She had said that the Hyuuga Elders would have seen him at Sakura's birthday party and saw a opportunity. If Sasuke were to marry a Hyuuga Heiress, his ties to the clan will be strong. The Hyuuga clan would have a Sharingan, when he unlocks it, and if he loved her, they could control him through his time with her. Because they were giving him one of their greatest, most expendable, treasures, their hime. But he had no interest in helping, He would not be pushed into a relationship with Hinata.

They planned to pair him up with the most obedant Heiress, they knew that she would always follow her clans orders. They could manipulated him through her. Hanabi was too volatile and young and Sakura didn't even show up on their radar, Hinata was perfect for this. And hopeful, for them, the Byakugan was more dominate than Sharingan and if not marrying his children to other Hyuuga's would wane it out. They would have slowly destroyed the last of the Sharingan and the Byakugan would be the strongest doujutsu. That part he had come up with, Sakura's thoughts weren't dark enough to think about this. So when he was sitting down at the Hyuuga table with the Hyuuga head family and Sakura's cousin Neji, he knew Hiashi would bring it up. After all, that was the reason he was here.

Sasuke sat next to Hinata on one side of the large table, across from him sat Neji, he had Hanabi on one side and Sakura on the other, furthest away from him. The head and his wife was at both ends of the table. Neji was probably here to steal away Sakura's attention, though not likely in on the plan, he had a way of trying to make sure Sakura was happy. He talked lowly with her, trying to take her mind off what was troubling her. I felt a little bubble of...something, it wasn't anger but it was close. He kept his face blank.

"So Uchiha-san, you are in Hinata's class, correct?" Hiashi did not address the the issue until after dinner and dessert was on the table. He hadn't touched it, he didn't like dango.

I nodded, I saw him purse his lips at my nonverbal response.

"Uchiha-san," he started again. "I want to talk about your relationship with my daughter." It was what he stated in his his letter.

"Aa." I said, finally saying something.

"I want to know what kind of relationship you two have."

"To be honest Hyuuga-sama, I have been dating your daughter for over four months." I could feel his happiness and to make it that much better Hinata was red and wasn't looking at anyone.

"Oh really?" He said.

"Aa. I hope you'll forgive me for not telling you, but I hope you'll give us your blessing." I almost smirked.

"Oh, and what are your intentions with my little hime?" He had a slight lift to his passive lips.

"Once I have completed my goal, I will marry her if she'll have me." I was the only one who caught Sakura's grin, everyone elses eyes flashed to Hinata who had snapped her head up to look at me in disbelief. It couldn't have gone better if I planned it.

"You want to marry her after only dating for four months?" He said but there was a small smile on his face.

"We have known each other before we start dating." i said.

He smiled, "Then you have my blessing."

"Good, Now all I have to do is ask Sakura."

Hiashi let a little confusion enter his voice, "What will you have to ask Sakura?"

I smirked this time. "I'd ask my _girlfriend_ to marry me."

* * *

The rest of the night pasted with glares being shot at me by the males at the table. The only reason Sakura's father let it be was for Sakura. She had one of my smiles on her face, but it was not directed at me. it was directed at her father. Hiashi looked stunned, the smile shocked him, which made me smile. It was true, that bright smile that lit up her face and made her unseeing eyes sparkle, was reserved for me. I didn't even feel angry that she had used it on someone else, because as I saw her father melt and crumble, as she spoke of him being the best father ever, of how much she loved him, how happy he'd just made her. I knew that the smile was aimed at her father, but it was because of me that it was there. And though he said no more on the subject, Hiashi glared at me with a burning hate, but he did not say a word against me.

Neji was another story. He said many times that he objected, he asked Sakura and her father to reconsider. It was a bold move for a branch member, to question the decision of a main member. He glared at me and threatened me too. It wasn't until he was told to shut up or leave did he stop. He still glared though. Hanabi glared at Sakura, but even before the anoncement she was doing that. When her father crumbled under Sakura's smile though, I saw her knuckles whiten. By the end of the night Sakura was the only one really happy. Hinata was more relieved that happy. Hanabi was murderous. Neji was angry. Haishi was upset. The Hyuuga heads wife was as impassive as she had been all through dinner. And me, I thought that it didn't go as bad as I accepted.

* * *

Telling Sakura's father they were dating was both the best and worst thing ever. The best because Sakura could now come and train with Sasuke in the week and worest because they now had a _escort_, more like patrol officer. A few times it was Hinata that was with them while they trained but mostly there was Neji.

Neji did not like Sasuke, at all, and he liked him even less with his cousin. Neji sat and glared at Sasuke, making rude comments about his training and being an all around ass. Sakura often repramand him, and when Sasuke also made a few less than polite comments, she told him off to. They could tell it made her sad to see them fight but they couldn't stop. They just wouldn't get along. Neji also often stopped their training too, when Sakura took a hit, or some times he wouldn't even let the hit land. It was getting impossible to train.

He liked his girlfriend, he really did, but he needed to train and if her family was getting in the way all the time he could not do that. She needed to talk to them or he was going to start training by himself again. Sure it would be hard and he would hate himself for doing it. But he needed to train.

It was a relief when the next weekend after Sakura and Neji got there, Neji left after glaring at him a bit. He grinned, now he could train. Neji or Hinata still joined some of their week day practices but the weekend was all theirs again.

* * *

Sasuke hadn't done anything for his medical studies in almost a year besides the tree test and the herbs Sakura showed me. So when he completed that and Sakura said she could teach his something with his limited control, limited? _I climbed up the biggest tree to the top five times_. She taught him how to do a simple diagnostic and to heal small cuts.

* * *

He was a natural at using the Pheonix Fireball jutsu, with his high reserve that Sakura had helped him build he could do it easily without even breaks to replenish his chakra.

* * *

He could beat Sakura in taijutsu most of the time, but when he had a blindfold on she mostly won, he had one a few of their little spar matches. Sasuke had taught Sakura all he knew and soon the whole weekend was spent with her training him or them just training together. Sasuke felt both like he knew so much yet so little. There was still many things that he wanted to learn.

* * *

It was when Sasuke started to win at shogi that Sakura blind folded him, it was much harder to memorize where was his piece and were was Sakura's, the chakra on his pieces and on Sakuras helped a lot. It only took him one lesson to get use to it. the next day Sakura made it harder and had him place his pieces randomly on the board.

"In this game we already know what each piece does, in a ninja world we will not know what our opponent can do until he does it, and even then it could all be a misdirection. Now that you have randomly placed your pieces on the board so will I. You will not know which pieces I have but you must still win. Make me believe that your piece is weaker or stronger, pretend you have a plan, have a trap. Make sure you don't lose a high ranked piece, make them think you have lost one. Do what you must, plan in layers, and see that your opponent is doing the same. Look underneath the underneath."

The game was hard, he set up traps and fell into traps, he mislead her and got mislead, he made layers and he searched through hers. They played a singular game for four hours. It really wasn't clear who was winning until the last trap was sprung. Sasuke was a genius and so was Sakura, but in the end it was Sakura who had won.

It was hands down the most thrilling game of his life, it was long and sometimes no one would make a move for minutes but the strategizing was so exciting. And the thought of outwitting an enemy, trapping them, winning, it was like nothing else.

* * *

It was September before Sakura had thought him ready for the bell test, She held bells in one hand and an alarm clock and blind fold in the other. She had blind folded him and then proceeded to put bells on him, they were on each hand, each elbow, each ankle, each knee, two on his chest, two on back and one tied to his neck, he felt weird. Sakura explained the rules than.

"You have twelve bells on you, the aim is to make sure you lose as little of your bells as possible, I will be trying to get your bells from you, you will fight me off, but remember, the more you move the more sound the bells will make and the easier it will be for me to get them. You need only last for ten minutes, when the ten minutes are up the bells you have will be your final score. Do you understand?" she asked me

"Aa." I replied.

"Ready? Start." And she attacked.

She ran at me, I heard her light steps coming towards me.

I had gotten so use to fighting by ear that I could even picture in my head what was happening. The bells were loud and it masked some of her attack sounds and she was able to get three bells in no time. My left arm no longer rung with the sound of bells and she had some how got the one on my right knee. I was defending the bells on my right leg, she had crouched down and I bent too. If I could pin her down for the remaining time I wouldn't lose anymore bells. She was quicker and she soon had the bells on my back instead, that was five she had. I sill had seven. Sakura landed a hit to my left leg and I almost fell over. I ended up saving my self from falling over but it costed me both bells on my right arm. I curled my hands close to my chest to protect the bells there. I quickly shifted to offence, defence wasn't working. I managed to loss two more bells before the timer rang.

Sakura wordlessly put my bells back in place then reset the timer.

"Round two."

* * *

It was because of his super hearing that he now stood in front of Iruka-sensei after class. He had heard Iruka talking to another teacher about this years gennin's. It was a little startling to hear that the gennin graduations was a hoax but what caught his attention the most was the main topic of their conversation. Iruka needed more students, his batch this year was uneven, he knew everyone who would pass and that still left a empty stop on a team. The other teacher taught the last years gennin and Iruka -sensei was asking for a student that would want to try again. The other teacher had none. Most kids went on to civilian school if they couldn't cut it as a ninja.

Iruka had thanked the teacher and he said that he'd ask another teacher if any younger people were ready for the exam. I couldn't really concentrate on the lesson and when it was over I left quickly. But when I was sure everyone was gone, especially those screaming girls, I went back.

To say that Iruka-sensei was surprised to see me was an understatement. He never saw me unless it was for class and I never needed any help with anything. Ever. But I wasn't here for me. I was here for something else, someone else.

"Sasuke-san. How may I help you?" She asked putting his paperwork aside.

"Hn. I heard what you were saying to that teacher. About the lack of students capable of passing the test this year." I said.

He looked very surprised and then he looked defensive. "It's not that I don't believe that my kids can't pass it's just that some-" I cut him off

"Hn. Don't care." I said. "I know someone who would make a good ninja." His look of utter shock and total disbelief made Sasuke a little offended.

"I don't think I've ever heard you say that anyone would make a great ninja." He uttered softly.

"That's because most of the people in this class wouldn't be good ninjas." I said, it was true, none of them really got what being a ninja was about.

"I think she'd make a good ninja, and I want her on my team." The man looked as if he was having a stroke and if he wasn't sitting I'd think he might of fallen over.

He quickly composed himself before asking, "Who is..._she_?" Disbelieve colored his tone.

"Hyuuga Sakura." His face resembled the dead last whenever he's call upon in class.

"I've never heard of her." He said.

"She's Hinata's older sister." I admitted.

Again he was shocked, this was really getting annoying, really fast.

"Hinata has a older sister?"

"Aa." I said.

"Sasuke if Hinata's sister doesn't want to be a ninja then you can't force her. Even if I would be nice to have another Byakugan user in the class." He sighed out.

"But she wants to be and ninja, and she's good." I forced out.

"Then why is she not in the academy?" Iruka asked with that same confused look that had yet to leave him since I entered the room.

"Her father wouldn't let her." I said softly, it felt wrong telling him this but it was to help Sakura's goal come true.

"Really?" He furrowed his eyebrows, "Because I hear that he's already training his youngest, had been for a while. Hiashi-sama even trained Hinata's Byakugan before she entered the academy." The teacher replied.

"Sakura doesn't have the Byakugan...She's blind." He ignored the look on his teachers face and he powered on through, he had to make Sakura a ninja.

"She's already a great ninja, she can hear attacks and she's good at taijutsu, almost better than me. Smart too, she can plan in layers. She's really got with chakra too, she knows some medical ninjutsu, she can do the substitution ninjutsu. She can sense chakra really well, in plants too, and she can hide her chakra. And I know that you need to learn the academy three to pass but I heard about a boy who can't even ise chakra and he's a ninja. All she wants is to become a ninja." I noticed I was panting and Iruka-sensei was trying to calm me down, I shook him off though had regained my composer.

"I'll see what I can do, but the last call is the Hokages." He said softly.

My back was ramrod straight and I simply nodded and walked out. My chest hurt, I felt a need to be close to Sakura. It was Thursday and Sakura would be at the training ground, Neji or Hinata would be there too. I didn't care.

When I saw her in our training ground I walked right passed Neji and straight to Sakura, I grabbed her and for the second time, I kissed her. It was surprising to her but she soon melted and started to kiss me back, I kissed her frantically at first grabbing her tightly and holding her to me. But slowly, I relaxed and our kiss turned soft until we broke apart to breath, I rested my forehead on hers and looked into her unseeing eyes. I wanted so badly for her to see me right now. For her eyes to be looking into mine, and for a second they were. For a moment it was only us and no one else in the world. Then I was punched in the face and fell away from her.

* * *

After Neji had punched me Sakura wouldn't talk to him, Neji and him argued all the time and constantly glared at each other, but not once hat they ever punched each other. Not from lack of want or even from thinking that the other was better than them. It was simply because if they fought it would hurt Sakura. Sakura was very hurt and angry that Neji had attacked her boyfriend and no amount of, "He was defiling you!" Would sway her. And that was the reason that Neji stood infront of Sasuke apologising. He had realised that Sasuke was important to Sakura. And Sasuke accepted without throwing a punch himself because Sasuke, too, knew Neji was important to Sakura. And when she smiled they both agreed that, even though it hurt them both a lot to swallow their pride, for her, it was worth it.

* * *

Things went smoother with Neji and Sasuke's truce. They still didn't like each other that much my at least Sakura was happy.

Sasuke had passed most of test that Sakura had gave him now, he was able to keep eight of his bells when he went up against Sakura. She thought that he could now move on to level two. She now wore the bells. He smirked, this would be easy.

It wasn't easy at all, Sakura's bells did not chime once, if he hadn't of grazed one a few times, he wouldn't know they were even there, and it wasn't just that she was quiet in her movements it was something more it was almost as if. He paused and she managed to pin him, the alarm when not long after.

"You know genjutsu?" I ripped my blindfold off to look at her. she smiled at me.

"It took you a while to notice." She commented.

It hadn't clicked that she would have known genjutsu. Genjutsu was for illusions, and illusions mostly were for sight but they were also sound and even smell too. I couldn't believe it. And now that I thought about it I felt a little of her chakra when I had grazed the bells.

"Hn. Round 2"

* * *

New Years came and went, this time we didn't get to spend it together. I spent New years day with her family. In January I learnt that I learnt that I had passed my exams, I was happy but I worried about Sakura. Iruka han't told me anything about what was happening and he was too busy to ask.

I took Sakura out to lunch after I was given my hitai-ate, I picked her I from the Hyuuga compound, she had pleaded until he let her go.

I took her to a sushi place, she had said once that she liked sushi but didn't get to eat it often because no one else liked it. We had a nice night, and it was when we were walking throught the park, on a long detour back to the Hyuuga compound, that I realised, this was our first real date. It seemed like a silly thought, we had been together for almost a year now and we weren't really the date type. We had little dates, like all the picnics we had. But still it made me smile. And when I took her home I gave her another kiss. Sasuke liked to kiss Sakura. Even in the few times they did had kissed, he known that.

She smiled stunningly as she turned away from him and entered the Hyuuga gates.

"Ja ne Sasuke."

"Ja ne Sakura."

* * *

Thought his expression was as passive as ever, you could tell that Sasuke was excited to be assigned his ninja team. He sat in the classroom, he had been there for an hour too, He endured every scream as each girl walked in and spotted him and then the collective screams of all of the girls. He even had to put up with the dobe, who had turned out to be worse than those girls. If he hadn't met Sakura, that would have been his first kiss. He had smiled, under his hands, when Iruka finally came into the class. He had called out the names and when he called out the dobe's and Sasuke's name, he was a little peeved when Naruto had interrupted to rant about not wanting to be on the same team. Iruka yelled at him for a bit before continuing.

"Now, because we were a person short of a graduating class I'd like to introduce the seventh member of team seven. They should have been here already though." He mumbled the last part to himself. He heard quiet foot steps and he turned to the door.

_Sakura?_

* * *

**Okay thats all for now. Firstly everyone PLEASE check out griffindork93's story 'Saving Sasuke', its a timetravel story that revolves around Sakura and Naruto going back in time with Gaara, Temari and Shikamaru, to save the world and Konoha and for Naruto and Sakura, that's is as simple as saving Sasuke. And check out all her other amazing stories too. Secondly, super short update time, probably thanks to griffindork93 too because I don't like to lose. Third, the next chapter will probably be not as long and because I haven't even got anything planned might take a while.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or Sasuke or Sakura or Kakashi or...**

* * *

The person that walked into the classroom was _not_ a pink haired, green eyed girl, it was a dark haired, dark eyed boy. I didn't see Sakura's bright smile that was always genuine, I saw a nameless guy with a fake smile.

The guy was older than us, by at least a few years, maybe Sakura's age. He had a curious style, his stomach was showing and so was one of his arms, he wore regular black pants. He had a standard weapon pouch strapped on his left leg and one on his left hip too.

Sasuke notice that some of the girls in his class was screaming at the new boy. It was the only thing good about him, he distracted those annoying girls from him.

He walked over to Iruka-sensei, "I am called Sai. I have been sent by my superior to be a gennin." He then flashed another one of those fake smiles.

"Well Sai, I'm Iruka and your a little late. Your team is sitting over there." Iruka pointed to us and I turned away. I didn't want this guy in my team, he was nothing like Sakura. He was completely opposite to her, he was anti-Sakura. I felt a painful tug on my heart, it could have been my chakra reacting or I could be...sad, no I was disappointed. I had thought for sure that Sakura would walk through that door. There was no one else that I would want to team with.

There was nothing that I could do now though and when it was time for lunch I ran out before anyone could follow me. I had lunch alone on a building roof, it was high enough to see the Hyuuga compound, it was why I picked it. I missed Sakura again, it was happening more often, I had wanted to go see Iruka, maybe it was a mistake. That boy shouldn't have been on team seven, it didn't feel right. He felt like a replacement.

His lunch today was some leftovers from one of Sakura's picnics. It must have been an invention of hers because he'd never seen it before, just like he'd never seen another of her before.

His gaze wandered back to gaze at the Hyuuga compound, it was time to go and meet his sensei now. He sighed, this day was turning out to be horrible.

* * *

He _hated_ him, he could barely keep his glare away from the dark haired boy who had been sitting there smiling fakely at him. He had not spoken since he introduced himself, he just sat there, smiling. It was creepy.

Sakura smiled all the time but her smiles were never fake or forced, she smiled because she, ironically, always saw good in everything and everyone she met. Even her sister, who hated the ground she walked on and the air she breathed, got a smile from Sakura. This _Sai_ was like a dimming moon, pretending that it was the sun.

Their sensei was late, by two hours, I had wanted to go see Sakura today, maybe go train for a little while. But instead he was sitting in a classroom with a idiot who couldn't stop complaining and a stalker who wouldn't stop smiling at him.

It was the dobe that finally addressed one of the other room occupants. "Hey Sai wasn't it, are you any good at being a ninja. I don't want another loser on the team like Sasuke-teme."

"Tch. The only loser on this team is you dobe." I said.

Before Naruto could start back up Sai responded.

"You don't have to worry about me, dickless." For once dobe was silence, and it was a glorious three seconds I'll never forget.

Naruto tackled Sai and because he's an idiot, and the stalker was sitting so close, I was brought into the fight. Sai was trying to pry Naruto who was trying to strangle him and I, unfortunately was on the bottom. Trying to get them off of me may have, 'accidently', punched them both a couple of times, even though it was Naruto's fault his fist just seemed to gravitate towards Sai more. But that could have been because Sai was on top of him and not because he'd taken Sakura's place on team seven.

"Let's see. My first impression of this group," We all heard a voice and whipped out heads to see a masked man standing in the doorway. "Your a bunch of idiots. Meet me on the roof in five minutes." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke. I shoved the two idiots off me and got up, walking out of the class room. _This would be fun._

* * *

I was sitting at the edge of team seven, Sai didn't hesitate to sit next to me and Naruto sat on the other side of him. across from us sat a silver haired man that was wearing a standard issue jounin uniform. He had a mask that was covering the bottom half of his face, and his hitai-ate was covering one of his eyes.

He stared at us for a while before speaking in a low, lazy drawl.

"Alright, Why don't you introduce yourselves. One at a time."

"Introduce yourselves? What do we say?" Sai said through his creepy smile tilting his head slightly.

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies. Things like that."

"Why don't you tell us some stuff first, I mean, before we talk tell us about you. So we can see how its suppose to work." The dobe went on.

"Me?" Replied the masked-nin. "I'm Hatake Kakashi, things I like And things I hate, I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future...never really thought about it. As for my hobbies, I have a lot of hobbies." He ended.

_Tch. All he told us was his name._

He gestured to Naruto.

"Okay, your turn, you on the right your first."

I got ready to hear some really loud rambling about nothing at all before he stated his goal, which was the same as it always was.

"...and my dream is to become Hokage so I could be somebody, somebody important."

"Alright, next." He looked to Sai.

"I am called Sai. I have no likes and no dislikes, unless I am ordered to. My dream is non-existent, unless I am ordered to have one. I draw." He smiled through the whole thing and tilted his head at the end.

"Last one." He said and everyone turned to me.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I hate a lot of things. And I don't particularly like anything." _Though that was a bit of a lie, but not too much of one_. "What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and destroy a certain someone." It was quiet after I stated my goal, even Sai was no longer smiling.

"Good, your all unique and have your own ideas." I almost scoffed, those other two idiots had _no_ ideas. "We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

"Woo, what kind of mission are we going to have?" The dobe cheered.

"It's a task," The jounin said. "That the four of us will do together."

"What is it. What, what what." The idiot yapped on.

After the blonde was quiet again the man spoke. "A survival exercise."

This did not sound good.

* * *

Sasuke had gone to see Sakura after he lost his trail. Sai was experienced at following someone but he had so many girls trying to follow him home it was now second nature of him to take false turns and use some jutsu's, even double back and use roof tops, to invade his followers.

He'd picked Sakura up from the compound, her father let her out more now, but only when she was with someone trustworthy and was back before dark. He was slightly flattered that he was now trustworthy enough for her father to let her leave with him.

We didn't train for long, my mind was somewhere else and Sakura just wanted to relax. we ended up lying down on the blanket.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked. She had her head rested on my stomach Just relaxing, I was laying on my back reading more on medical plants, this time it was one on plants grown outside of the fire country.

"Do you think looks are important? A lady I met at the market said that I should be happy that I'm not a kunochi. She said that they are only used for their bodies, its the only reason they train, so that their bodies are appealing. She said that even some males do this too." I raised myself and looked at her. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she had a small frown on her face.

"We are more than our bodies. We are ninja." I told her simply going back to my book.

"You never answered my question." She pointed out.

"Looks are just another weapon that could be used to your advantage, I've never succumbed to them but I have seen it happen to others." I said thinking of dobe's stupid 'sexy' jutsu.

"Am I good looking Sasuke?" She asked softly, I leaned up again to look at her face, she had a small blush on her face and she was biting her lip. I smiled slightly, no matter how much Sakura was different from any other girl he had meet, she was still a girl. Even if she was blind, she still wanted to hear him say that he found her attractive, not as much as other girls, but still, he'd never said it, not even once.

"You are so beautiful that, if you could see yourself, you would not believe your eyes." He said.

she smiled softly and reached up, for the first time, since last new years, she kissed me lightly, on the lips this time. She pulled away and smiled at me before settling back onto my stomach. I laid down and continued reading.

* * *

I woke in a cold sweat, my chest hurt. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and pulled out my heart and crushed it. It felt horrible, the nightmare was worse than the pain, and it was because they were all of my memories, all the memories I hold dear, but they were twisted into something..wrong. Something painful, something that was true. They never happened often anymore, the nightmares, but when they hit, they hit hard. I looked at the time. Four. I wouldn't get back to sleep, I needed something to destract me.

I took a shower but in my tired state I cut my hand. The pain was mild and the cut shallow I put my hand over it and concentrated, after a minute a green light dimly lit my hand. I laid it over the cut, I manipulated the chakra into my cut, stopping the blood and sealing the wound. I smiled when I was done. There was a tiny scar but I had done it, it reminded me of Sakura. She had taught this to me. She could have healed without leaving a scar, but I liked the scar, it showed me how far I'd come, how strong Sakura had made me. Then I thought more of Sakura, our time training, her weird training methods that really worked. Sakura's picnics, her smile, her voice, _her_. Memories of our time together flash in my mind, the memories ease the pain, the pain caused by the other one in my nightmare. I'd get revenge for my clan, but until then I had Sakura.

* * *

I was the first one at the meeting place, it was a red bridge close to our assigned training ground, training ground 7. I was early and I leaned against one of the railing of the bridge.

Sai was the next one to arrive. He had that creepy fake smile on. When he was a few feet away from me he spoke.

"Ohayou Sasuke-kun." He said smiling, I turned away, logically I knew he was not at fault for being on the team instead of Sakura, but logic had very little to do with him being a creepy stalker that would put the academy girls to shame. He followed me yesterday, calling me 'Sasuke-kun', the freak even asked me out. At least the academy girls knew there was a line, _well most of them_, I thought about the blonde one, _she was really bad_.

"So Sasuke-kun, will you take me out to your house after this?" He said still smiling his creepy smile, he'd asked me that yesterday too.

For the first time in my life, I wished the dobe was here. I was so relieved when I saw a blinding orange jumpsuit and equally bright hair. He was moving slow and his eyes were half lidded.

When the dobe got there it was quiet for an hour, Naruto had yet to walk up properly and notice how late their sensei was. It was peaceful, if you ignored the creepily smiling boy, which I did. The Naruto started to complain. He went quiet when he realised no one was listening.

Sasuke had yet to notice the stalker had moved and was now sitting next to him until he almost jumped at the sound of his voice being so close.

"So where do you live? you have not given me the address." He said through that fake smile.

I roughly pushed him away and got up to lean on the other side of the bridge.

"Sai?" Naruto asked.

"Yes dickless?" Sai responded. Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

"Are you gay or something, that's like the hundredth time you asked Sasuke where he lives." Naruto said curiously.

I grimaced, _that was all I needed._

"No, I was merely trying to make friends with the only competent member of this team." He replied.

I sighed as Naruto started to screech.

* * *

It was ten when their sensei finally here.

He spoke of a bell test and had a alarm clock, I almost expected him to pull out a blindfold. He did not and he only had two bells. He said one of them would go back to the academy, I hoped it was the stalker.

He almost smirked, all he had to do was get one bell and he had his sight, even if Kakashi-sensei was a jounin his training with Sakura was trying to get bells while being blindfolded only using taijutsu. With his eyes and his ninjutsu he could do this.

But first, he wanted to see what the jounin could do, he could move faster than Sasuke could see, he found out when Naruto mouthed off to him. He'll get some info before starting.

After watching him fight off the dobe, while reading, he knew that no matter how the grey haired man acted his rank was earned.

When he had taken the opening Sasuke had to run, it didn't hit, and now he knew where he was. He ran, changing his position, he'd attack Kakashi when he came looking for him.

When we did meet I just had to boast a bit, I was better than the other two and I'd show him. I smirked, I had been training for something like this, for a oponent that was strong like Kakashi-sensei was. I could beat him too, I was sure of it.

* * *

My juggment was _not_ to be trusted. I thought back to the fight with Kakashi-sensei. It was going well, I was fighting him and I wasn't winning, but I wasn't losing. I even managed to surprise him with my fire jutsu and touch a bell. It went down hill from there, he had chewed me up and spit me out. For all my confidence I forgot one key element. He was a jounin and, even if I was better that everyone else in my class, I was _gennin_, my skills may have been chunnin level, but still nowhere near a ninja as skilled as my sensei. I should of seen this coming, but I didn't. Now look at me. Just a head. This couldn't get any worse.

And then the stalker stumbled into the clearing.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Great.

* * *

I was glad when I was rescued from the ground by Kakashi-sensei, the creep had sat there smiling, he said he'd only let me out if we could be friends and I would invite him over to my place. I refused to even acknowledge him.

We walked back to the post, I saw that Naruto was tied to one of them. Tch, dobe.

It wasn't until we were sitting next to Naruto did Kakashi talk.

"Stomachs growling huh?" He said looking down on us.

It was true, we were hungry, our sensei had played us, we listened to every word he said and now we were tired, hungry and creeped out, Sai was _still_ smiling. I didn't think that he'd even cared that it was creepy and telling him, 'when I see your smile I get creeped out' would mean that I'd have to acknowledge him.

"That's too bad." He rubbed it in.

"Oh, by the way, about this exercise. I've decided." He went on, "I won't send any of you back to the academy." The dobe started cheering and even I couldn't help the little approving sound, I did do amazing, even if I hadn't gotten a bell.

"Do you mean all three of us?" The stalker asked tilting his head with that fake smile on his face.

"Yes all three of you, will be dropped from the ninja programme permanently." He said turning his lazy drawl harsh in a second.

The dobe stopped cheering and gaped, I could feel my heart sink and my stare harden.

I didn't really hear what the dobe was going on about. I was _never_ going to be a ninja, I would _never_ beat _that man _and I would _never_ avenge my clan. The mask nins next words broke through my thoughts.

"...You don't think like ninja, you think like little kids, like brats." that did it, I wouldn't be called a brat, I wouldn't stand for it, I had to avenge my clan and I had to be a ninja for that. I had to learn more and be more and than I'll kill _that man_. And this man was stopping me, he was in the way of my vengeance. And now I am strong I have figured out there's no other way.

I ran at him, as fast as I could, I was going to make him see I was good enough to be a ninja, to beat him. I was so close and then I was on the ground and Kakashi was sitting on me.

"You think it's all about you." He spat at me.

I struggled to get up, but I could do nothing, and the thing was, I had heard him move, with my training I heard his quick maneuver, but I was too slow to do anything about it. It didn't matter that I trained day after day, night after night, I was still nowhere near _that man's_ level. I'd like to make myself believe that I was but I truly wasn't.

"You don't know what it is to be a ninja. You think its all a game. Why do you think we put you on squads. Ever considered that question for one moment."

"I don't know what you mean." Sai was, despite all, smiling.

"I mean, you never realised what this exercise was really about. Not even close."

They talked on and I still struggled to get up. I could barely budge. And when Kakashi told Sai to Kill Naruto or he'd kill ne I stilled.

For the first time all day I looked at Sai.

He was looking at me smiling, the smile was even creeper.

I then turned away, I'm not afraid to die, but in the end, to live is important, I needed to kill _that man _something I couldn't do if I was already dead.

"I don't know where he lives yet." He replied.

Kakashi ignored him and went on with his speech. When he finally left with instructions to not feed Naruto, I was free and I kicked myself. I should of figured it out sooner, if there was one thing my training with Sakura taught me it was never take anything at face value, 'cause everything is never as it seems. So I offered the dobe my lunch.

"No you eat, I will give dickless my lunch." Sai smiled and tried to hand it to him.

"Um, I'm tied up." The dobe said.

"Then I'll fed you dickless." As the dobe opened his mouth to protest Sai shoved some rice int his mouth.

Kakashi appeared on the stump that Naruto was tied to. His aura was dark and suddenly the sky's turned grey and there was lightning. It was shocking and for a second I feared I was wrong. But I stuck to my plan and the stalker and the dobe backed me. It was such a relief that I was right. I was a ninja. I walked out of the training ground. I couldn't wait to tell Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun." Right after I lost the stalker.

* * *

**NOOO I lost. It is now my turn to grow mushrooms in a dark corner. But at least I got a lot of extra points. Griffindork93, you win this round, but chapter seven is mine. Also to everyone who didn't know griffindork93 is my rival, my Eternal Rival. Oh also chapter six/seven will be up soon, sooner then my Eternal Rivals chapter six/seven, hopefully. Also review and fav.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: sadly I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Team seven had been in active duty for a week now. Kakashi had a sick sense of humor. He had given them so many D-rank missions that it was almost painful. For the dobe it wasn't even almost. The idiot got hurt all the time. just doing the simple things were impossible for him. He did missions wrong, angered the clients, anything that could get you hurt. He was surprised that Kakashi could find missions that they weren't banned from doing because of Naruto.

Sai hadn't changed, he was still the same stalker. He still tried to follow Sasuke home and continued to ask him where he lived. Sasuke was skeptical about him not being gay. He still had his creepy smile and no amount of Naruto telling him to stop would make him.

Kakashi, he found, was lazy, the only reason he gave them so many missions were so that he could read his stupid porn book. I didn't even get it, why would he let someone see him reading that rubbish. He also still came late, hours late.

Their training was boring, Kakashi had to go over the basics so many times for Naruto. Kakashi did let them spar sometimes and, even as creepy as he was, Sai had an interesting ninja art. He could make drawing come to life. Though he wasn't that good at taijutsu he was passable and he had no skill at genjutsu. He could draw fast too, he could make a lion appear in five seconds. given a little under half a minute he could draw a giant dragon. It was fun fighting that. He still remembered it.

* * *

_It was the first team seven sparring match. Sasuke didn't know what Sai could do. He had a faint idea about the dobe's skills, having shared a class with him and seen him fight Kakashi. No one had seen the match between Sasuke and he heard that Sai fainted under a genjutsu._

_Kakashi had announced that the first match would be Sai vs Sasuke, after a lot of complaining from Naruto, "But I wanna fight." Kakashi said that he'd get his turn before going back to his little orange book._

_Sai and I stood across from each other and __I was slightly confused when I saw Sai sitting down when Kakashi said to start. He then pulled out a scroll and started to furiously write. After a few seconds he did some hand signs and I cursed myself. I had a perfect moment to strike and I missed it._

_He had finished his jutsu and, for a second, nothing happened. Then a lion leaped from the page and started to run at me. I quickly through a kunai at it, he dodged it and continued to run at me, teeth bared. _

_I took off to the side, then doubled back to give a powerful kick the lion's side. It did nothing. this was not like Naruto's clones who only needed one good hit. I glared at it as it ran towards me again._

_I keep dodging it trying to come up with a plan to defeat this thing. None of my taijutsu moves would be powerful enough. Genjutsu wouldn't work either and even if it could he didn't know any besides a few simple ones. That left ninjutsu. I had a few fire one, phoenix flower and some others I found in the Uchiha library. The other ones I'd never tried but knew the hand signs._

_I had to try. I started to do the hand signs, the lion ran at me, I was on the last sign and I didn't have time to dodge and aim the jutsu. I jumped over it flipping and unleashing my jutsu on it. The flame was big and hot. When I landed I looked back to see that the lion was gone only leaving a patch of black ink. _

_I grinned for a second before hearing Sai yelling out the same jutsu. My grin faded, another lion? I had just figured out its weakness._

_When I turned around I did not see a lion, no it was a giant dragon, it's face was mean and had long fangs. Its eyes went narrow as they looked at me._

_"No fair, I wanna fight that thing too. Teme I got this one." The dobe cut in from the side and ran up to the ink beast making hand signs, he exploded into a multitude of himself all attacking the dragon at once._

_One by one the clones were smacked out of existence by the dragon. Naruto just kept making more and more, trying to pummel the beast. I watched him for a while. Sure the dragon was a threat but the real danger was the artist who brought it. we could defeat it but then another would take its place. Naruto would distracting the dragon while I went after the master._

_I speed left, around the giant, I ran towards his left side ready to pounce. He glanced over just as I was in distance, He dodged at the last minute but I managed to knock his scroll away from him. I didn't celebrate yet, I had no clue about his taijutsu skills, if his was better than mine._

_I ran at him first, I punched, aiming for his head but he ducked, I froze my arm then brought it down towards his head. He kicked me, not making me fall but I did step back and my elbow missed him. He quickly grabbed my arm and went to hit me in the stomach but I kicked his knee, making him fall. He brought me down too, tugging my left arm. I swung my arm out as we were falling and made sure to land on my elbow. It hit him in the stomach knocking the wind out of him and with my left fist I punched him in the cheek, knocking him out._

_I stood at turned back to the dragon and the dope. I was slightly disappointed to see the dragon melting into a pool of ink all over the dobe and his clones._

* * *

After that I knew how to defeat Sai and instead just fighting with his ink drawings i made sure that after I defeated a few that I somehow knocked Sai out. His jutsu flaw was that when he was unconscious his drawing lost there power. Sai must have to constantly be giving them chakra.

The dobe wasn't a bad sparring partner either. He could make hundreds of copies of himself, shadow clones, but sadly they all had the intellect and skill of the original, little to none. I could see how I did out numbered but his fighting style was like a drunk street brawler. I shook my head.

Kakashi had shown them a few things too, he had taught them a few counter moves that they didn't know. He even taught Sasuke how to make his fire jutsu bigger without wasting charka.

He still trained with Sakura too. Training with her was his favourite thing to do. She still beat him at her tests but he would beat her sometimes. His bell test even progressed so far that now they were both wearing bells, he couldn't really seem to master the grab and protect at the same time. Each time he got a bell, he lost one, each time he protected a bell he lost the opportunity to gain one. He loved the challenge. They were kind of evenly matched now, but with Sasukes sight he knew he was better.

It was Saturday, his sensei had told them to meet him at the training grounds at six. He almost had a heart attack, Saturday was training day, Sakura training day. He couldn't be late, he'd never been late, he'd always been there when she got there. But he couldn't not go to a meeting with his team. He knew that Sakura was always at the training ground at noon. Not even one minute past, it was one of the things he liked about her. And he knew that Kakashi said six, but there was one think he knew, Kakashi could be hours late, would be hours late and there was nothing he could do about it.

He got there at six and waited. He was nervous, he almost started to pace. He knew it was hours away but he could not help it. His mind kept coming up with times that Sakura had come to the training ground early. But that was only that one time for his birthday. She hadn't done it again. But it would be just his luck that she would today.

He was so relieved when Kakashi got there at nine. If he was lucky then they were training, Sai couldn't train long hours and they usually only trained for an hour or two. if he was unlucky they would be doing D-rank missions. they only ever did two at a time but with Naruto messing up all the time it took all day. I hoped we were training.

As his luck had it they were not training, they had two D-rank missions they needed to do. He almost groaned.

They were easy, Just walking some dogs and doing some shopping. he could do that in two hours. and he would too.

They had walked the dogs and it had taken almost two hours. Sasuke couldn't help but look at his watch all throughout the day. It was getting closer and closer to noon and they had yet to even start their next mission. Kakashi had given them the list and sent them to grab the stuff. He took a third of the list and went off to find the stuff, he finished in ten minutes and went to wait for his team. They were taking too long, he had been waiting for them for five minutes. He needed to find them. He found Naruto first, he was in the vegetable stall looking at everything. Sasuke sighed and took his list quickly grabbing all the things needed. He ignored Naruto as he yelled about not needing help and how the 'next Hokage' could find a butternut if he wanted to. He paid and left with the dobe following him yelling something stupid. It didn't take long to find Sai, the stalker had been following him the whole time and had yet to get anything on his list. Sasuke snatched it off of him and rushed off to the butcher to grab the meat. He then raced back to Kakashi who was leaning on a tree reading.

"Done." I said to the lazy grey haired man.

The man looked at Sasuke who had all the shopping in his hands to the other two who's hands were empty. He raised his eyebrow. I ignored him and started to walk away, I'd deliver them and then I'll be in time to meet Sakura. I had, I looked at my watch, fifteen minutes left. I unconsciously picked up my pace a little.

When the food was safely delivered and the payment was collected we left to drop off out mission scroll to the Hokage tower. We didn't stay long but I couldn't help looking at my watch every so often. I only ha five minutes left. I couldn't take it any longer and as soon as the Hokage dismissed us I ran to my training ground. I didn't even lead a false trail or anything, I had no time. Plus I had learnt that Sai wasn't as fast as me, I also had a head start and I didn't think he saw the way I ran. He was too busy smiling.

I looked at my watch briefly as I ran, two minutes. I pushed myself harder, pumping a little chakra into it so that I'd be there in time.

I got there with thirty seconds to spare. I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding, she wasn't there and I was so relieved. It was exactly a half a minute since I arrived that she walked into the clearing. This time the person accompanying her wasn't Neji or Hinata. This time it was a man, with brown hair. He wasn't a Hyuuga, the large round eyes that were the same shade of brown as his hair said that much. He was wearing a standard jounin uniform and he had a strange looking hitai-ate on. He also did not leave as soon as he got there, he approached me.

"Are you Uchiha Sasuke?" I stared at him but didn't answer.

"Yamato-san, this is Sasuke I would know it wasn't." Sakura's soft voice reached me. "Don't worry, Sasuke will keep me safe and he'll bring me home. you may go now." She smiled lightly at him as she walked over to me.

He gave a skeptical look but did as she said, giving her a farewell before leaving. She smiled even more brightly at me as I took the basket from her hands and set up the picnic blanket.

"Who was that?" I asked when we were sitting down.

"That's Yamato-san. He was on a team with my mother. He comes tp cheek up on me every now and then, he offered to walk me here when Hinata said she had an emergency meeting with her team." She smiled as I handed over her regular bento. I also noticed the Shogi board in the picnic basket, I pulled that out too.

"I've run out of new tomato ideas so I'm afraid you've had this one before." She said as I opened my container. It was grilled tomato and grilled chicken on rice. I smiled, I'd liked this one.

We ate in near silence, she talked a little about a story Hinata was reading to her. She liked being read to, she would have read it herself but there was only so many things translated into braille and she had read them all. I had read to her ha few times too, but I hadn't read anything to her in a long time.

After lunch we did some stretches and then we did our warm ups. We were silent and worked side my side, after an hour we finished. Sakura smiled at me when I asked if she wanted to play shogi and nodded.

We set up the Shogi board, I put on the blindfold when my pieces were in place and she set hers up. The game was long and I had won, I took off the blindfold and looked at the board. Then I looked to the sky, it look like it was only four, we still had an hour before she was meant to go home. There wasn't enough time for a round two and, even though I was stiff, I didn't really want to train. I packed the Shogi board away and laid down. Sakura laid next to me, she curled up into my side.

It was so peaceful, I felt calm and, with Sakura next to me, I felt warm. We'd been laying there for ten minutes and I almost fell asleep.

"Yo." I sat up quickly, Sakura fell off me and hit her head on the blanket covered grass, I grimaced for a second before looking back to the person standing in front of me.

"Kakashi-sensei?" I asked standing, I didn't feel comfortable sitting or laying in hs presences.

I heard Sakura huff, I looked back to see her rubbing her head as she, too, stood. I gently laid my hand on her head, silently saying sorry. She sighed softly and mumble, she was fine, her way of saying she forgave me was by, not removing my hand herself, but waiting until I removed it myself.

I turned back to Kakashi who had that orange book in his hands.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well when you ran off without being dismissed, I thought that I should see why you were in such a hurry. Now why don't you introduce me to your friend. Ne, Sasuke?" He replied.

I would refuse, he didn't need to know and he didn't need to follow me. We had finished for. The day and he was only upset that _he_ wasn't the first to leave. Something I had learnt about my sensei was he was the last to arrive and the first to leave.

My plans to refuse were ruined by Sakura introducing herself.

"My name is Sakura. It is nice to meet Sasuke's sensei." Sakura bowed slightly.

"Hm, oh. Nice to meet you Sakura. I'm Kakashi." He lazily drawled, nodding in return.

"Did you need something?" I asked irritated.

"Can't I just drop by to say hello to one of my cute little gennin?" He said as he turned the page of his book, not looking at me.

"What are you reading, Kakashi-san?" Sakura asked tilting her head.

I whipped my head towards Kakashi, who had looked up surprised, the title large and the picture was self-explanatory. I saw Kakashi smile through his mask.

"It's a love story about a woman who runs away from home and how she meets a man that takes her in and gives her a job. They fall in love and want to run away together. But a evil prince wants the woman too and they end up trying to find a place to live out of the reach of the evil prince." He said, I sighed, he was a pretty good lair and Sakura wouldn't know what it was really about.

"That sound's like a good book, what is it called, I'll ask Sasuke or Hinata to read it to me." A red blush spread across my checks as I thought about reading something like that to her. Luckily, He did not have to answer, it seemed that Yamato had come back to collect Sakura.

"Sakura-sama. Are you ready to leave?" He said bowing slightly.

"You don't have to call me that Yamato-san and you didn't have to pick me up. Sasuke always drops me off, while in his presence I have never been harmed." Sakura said turning slightly to hear Yamato's voice.

"Aa Hime, but I am already here, and I thought we could go to dinner, Hinata and Hanabi are not joining us tonight so I thought you'd like to go to your favourite sushi place." Yamato said smiling down at her.

The change was instant, from the slightly put out expression to the happy cheerful one. She bounced slightly as she grinned.

"Sasuke, will you come have sushi with Yamato-san and me?" She whipped around and grinned joyfully at me. I smiled slightly ready to accept I opened my mouth to say yes when I was interrupted.

"I actually needed to speak to Sasuke." I frowned at my sensei's interuption.

Sakura's smile faded and I could have kicked my sensei. Then she nodded and another smile, bright as sun lit her face again.

"Then I will see you tomorrow Sasuke, at noon, I'll make some baked fish with tomato and some barbeque tomato and pork kabab's." She nodded happily and stepped off the blanket. I took it as my que to pack up our little picnic and give her the packed basket sane the left over tomato and chicken on rice, which I would take home. Sakura took the basket and leaned up to kiss my check, she mistakenly caught the corner of my lips and pulled back slightly, blushing she said goodbye.

she paused after a few steps.

"Tonight, I want three green ones, not a speck of yellow. Oh and it was nice to meet you Kakashi-san."

"It was nice to meet you too Sakura." Kakashi replied.

She smiled and walked over to Yamato, he took the basket and she lightly took his arm.

When they had left I turned to Kakashi waiting for his reason of being here.

"She's nice." She commented instead.

I didn't replied.

"You know that training a civilian is frowned upon." He said turning the page of that book.

"Hn. She isn't a civilian." I said simply.

"Oh." He said not turning away from his book. I didn't continue, instead I asked a question I'd already had asked him. "What do you want?"

"She's blind." He ignored me.

"Aa." I said.

"She's a noble." He said.

"Aa."

"She's From a shinobi clan?" He asked.

"Aa."

"Hm. What is her clan name?"

I didn't want to answer but I couldn't not answer, I knew he wouldn't let it go.

"Hyuuga." I only just caught the slight hesitation when he turned his page again.

"Hm. Interesting." He said not looking up from his book. "Not many branch members have shinobi like Yamato guarding their daughter, unless they are in danger, but they were in danger they would be around their charge twenty four seven. I also happen to know that the Hyuuga head is away, talking to some Mizu clan head I think. Your young friend is older than you, two years maybe three? There was also a Hyuuga in your graduating class. Hm. So your friend is the blind eldest daughter of the Hyuuga clan?' He turned another page.

"Don't you find that a little strange Sasuke?"

"Iie."

"I find it a little strange." Turn page. "Are you in love with this girl?"

I froze. I liked Sakura, yes, but I wasn't sure I loved her. I cared strongly and I would help her if she needed anything but I didn't think I loved her. Not yet.

"You don't love her Sasuke." He said. "She is using you and you should break it off with her." Turn page. "I can see that she knows she can make you do things. That you'll do them. It's the trait of most of the Hyuuga woman. They lure you in, they give you little test and then when they know your hooked, they gut you." Turn page roughly.

"Iie. Sakura's not like that." I said shaking my head, there was no doubt in my mind that Sakura was a good person. Someone who wouldn't do that to anyone, I couldn't see Hinata doing that either. Hanabi on the other hand.

He raised his eyes and met mine, I didn't waver, not for a second. I didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly grinned, I could see the outline of his unturned mouth and his visible eye was smiling.

"Pass." He said.

I was confused what did he mean pass? Was this some test? Was Kakashi testing Sasuke's feeling for Sakura? He had no clue what his sensei meant. He was just crazy. that was it. His sensei was loopy.

"Ne, ne Sasuke. Meeting at the bridge at six. Don't be late." Kakashi was then gone.

* * *

Sasuke, again was worried about getting to the training ground on time, when he had taken Sakura her apples he had told her that he had to meet with his team before he came and that he might be late. She was understanding and said that she'd make some extra food, missions and training is very tiring. Even though Sakura knew about it, he didn't want to be late. And so, again he sat waiting for his weird sensei to show up, he looked at his watch.

Normal gennin teams had weekends off, but not team seven. Normal gennin teams met hung out after missions and training, but not team seven. Normal gennin teams cared about the other members in their team, but not team seven. Kami, he wished he'd had been put on a normal team.

This time Kakashi didn't show up until nearly eleven and Sasuke was having a hard time not hyperventilating. he had about an hour until he had to meet Sakura. Training with his team, even with their jounin-sensei, wasn't challenging, even Sai's ink animals were almost no challenge.

Sakura was always unpredictable, one second she was all about smarts, training his brain until there was a headache forming. Then she's be about stealth, sneaking and seeking, like a lion hunting its prey. Then there was her times of fury where she would attack with a no holds bar, attacking so fast and strong that he had to pump his body with chakra just to invade and block her hits. What he liked most was when she randomly switched from one to the next at random patterns. It made it hard for him to imagine what was going to come next. everyone on his team were predictable in fighting and life, even Kakashi-sensei. Sakura was like a ever changing jigsaw puzzle, he never came up with the same picture twice.

That was why he wanted to be at their training ground, waiting for her. Not here, waiting for Kakashi. But when Kakashi-sensei did get there, after his lame excuse's, he made them run around the training ground, a hundred time. Sasuke ran as fast as he could, he sprinted around again and again. When he reached a hundred he looked at his watch, ten minutes. Kakashi didn't comment about anything, just waiting for the other two to finish, Naruto finished next, just a few laps behind him. it was another two minutes before Sai was done though. He looked at his watch. Five minutes. Their training ground was close, he could run there.

"Good. Now lets head out." Kakashi-sensei said leisurely walking out of the training ground. The dobe was yelling, asking, where they were going, nagging at him while Kakashi ignored him and read through his book. Sasuke wasn't paying attention to where they were going, he was too busy looking at his watch. There was three minutes left now, if he faked sickness he could make it in time. Then he'd be blind folded, fighting for bells or some other training exercise Sakura had pulled from nowhere.

He did notice, however, when they entered his private training ground.

"What are we doing here Kakashi-sensei? Where are we? Are you going to teach us a super cool jutsu?" the dobe rambled on. I glared at the masked jounin. He was going to crash my training session with Sakura.

"Today." Kakashi said, gaining all of our collective attention. "We will be watching how our dear Sasuke trains." I grimace, I was right, they were going to crash my training session.

I didn't get to refuse before I saw Sakura walking into the training ground. She walked next to Yamato, she looked beautiful in her kimono. she had not ever changed her clothing after they had gotten in the way of her ability to use position three, but instead she practiced and slightly altered position three until it fit her. Her kimono today was a light pink, her obi was a dark pink and so were the cherry blossoms that trailed up the sides. It was as short as the others she trained in. Her long pink hair trailed down her back and slightly fluttered behind her when she walked. She wasn't wearing shoes. Instead he bare feet lightly touched the ground with no sound. In short, she was a vision.

Before she was close enough Naruto had run up to her.

"Wow your really pretty. My name is Uzumaki Naruto the next Hokage, what's your name. I bet its pretty like you. Hey, do you wanna go out with me? We can go get some ramen. Do you like ramen? I love ramen. My favourite is from Ichiraku, Iruka-sensei takes me there sometimes. So how bout it. Wanna go on a date?"

The dobe was screeching at her, I sighed before approaching them. I pushed the dobe away, he started screeching, calling me a bastard and how I was jealous that he had all the moves. I rolled my eyes as I took the basket from Sakura's hands, She gave it and took my free hand in hers. I walked away from the others and set her blanket up. I lead her to sit before turning back to my team, my sensei and Yamato. They all looked at me in disbelief. I glared back at them all.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked, I turned to her.

"Aa?" I asked.

"You'll have to share." She said simply.

I scowled, I didn't like that, I had never had to share before, First they ruined my training session then they ruined my lunch.

"Iie." I replied stubbornly, I would not share with that dobe or stalker or that stupid sensei of mine that lead the other two here.

"Not even with me?" She asked. I paused, of course I would share with her, I'd only share with her, but she didn't really like tomatoes, she could eat them but it wasn't her favourite. She liked simple bento's or sushi or something sweet. She loved green apples.

"Aa." I conceded, I knew that she would give her lunch away and she would share with me. I couldn't stop her, at times she was more stubborn that I was.

She beamed and it took my breath away. I sat next to her, I unpacked the basket like I always did, there were extra bentos in the basket, there were four. I knew for a fact that she always made two, most of the time the other one was for Hinata or Neji. However, she never made over that.

"Hinata and Neji couldn't make it, they have missions." She said sadly.

I knew they had probably lied to Sakura, Sakura would have known it too. For how much Neji loved Sakura, he hated her sisters. Both of them, Hanabi more though. I had found out that Neji hate the whole main branch of the Hyuuga clan, but for some strange reason, that hate didn't extend to Sakura. Neji wouldn't want to be in Hinata's prescence more that necessary, he had made an exception a few times that I'd known him. Sakura's birthday was one and the dinner I had been invited to by the Hyuuga head. Hinata, like always, blamed herself for it and didn't like to be around him causing him pain.

I looked up to see that the other had not moved and was merely watching.

"Hn. Lunch." I grunted setting the four bentos on the blanket. The stalker was the first to join, next was the dobe and then Sensei and Yamato.

?Sai sat on the other side of me, Yamato sat on the other side of Sakura, then there was Naruto sitting across from her and Kakashi sitting across from me. we were in a circle. everyone had a bento except for Sakura and I. I moved a little closer to her sharing my container. I had two today.

"So, you never told me your name and who's this guy?" The dobe couldn't stay silent.

"Oh, I apologise Naruto-san, I am Saukra and this is Yamato-san." Sakura said after finishing her mouth full of pork.

"I am called Sai." the stalker commented from my side.

"It's nice to meet you Sai." She nodded.

"So Sakura-chan." I almost snarled at the suffix. "How do you know Sasuke-teme?"

"Sasuke is my boyfriend." She said smiling softly.

"WHAT?" the dobe shouted, him mouth was open.

"Hn. Dobe, close your mouth."

"But your so nice and pretty and he's-he's a a TEME." He screamed at her.

"Not all the time." She said smiling, I whipped my head around to her.

"What?" I said.

"And never to me." She said grinning at me, I sighed and looked away.

Lunch passed with small talk and then it was time to train. Sakura and I got up, I wondered what we were doing today that's when I saw the alarm clock. I needed more work at this one. I gently tided the bells onto her and then she tided mine. Next I placed my blindfold on, I heard her set the clock and then she stood a few feet in front of me.

"Begin." She said.

I raced and her I went for a low kick that she jumped over, I rose quickly and punched out, she bent her body into a perfect bridge. She kicked off the ground kicking my hand and grabbing my left wrist bell in between her toes before she landed back on her feet. I kicked her in the side before she could right herself properly, I lunged at her an manage to grab the bell from her right ankle. Her foot smashed into my face before I could stop it, with me dazed she had managed to get two bells that where on my chest. With lightning fast reflexes I grabbed her and and reached for Sakura's chest bell, she kicked me in the stomach, it knocked the wind out of me but I still managed to get one of the bells.

We traded blows until the timer buzzed. I had gotten five bells, not my best score, she had gotten six from me. I cursed, I still hadn't been able to do the genjutsu Sakura showed me. She did it without hand signs And taught me, I, however, didn't have the same control over chakra that she had.

Soon everyone was trying it, Sai and Naruto versed off, Surprisingly, Naruto had won this match. Yamato and Kakashi versed each other and they were blurs, it wasn't until it was over we saw how won. Kakashi had gotten two bells Yamato had one. We all trained together, the winners versed each other. Sakura had beaten Naruto really badly, he had none and she had all twelve, and time left. Sasuke was a little worried with Sakura's match with Kakashi. Kakashi was going easy on her, but she'd have none of that, she attacked him harshly. She changed her approach she used with him. She made as much noise as possible to through him off and, surprisingly, it worked. Though Kakashi won and had gotten all Sakura's bells, Sakura had gotten one of his.

We trained until Sakura had to go, Sasuke had cleared up their picnic and given her basket to her. After she left, everyone else drifted away too. All things considering, it was a good day. The stalker didn't even ask where he lived.

* * *

**Okay. I lost again. And its late by hours. Kami I'm tired. Stayed up so late, early? to finish this. Anyway. griffindork93 won this one. This chapter is early, and you can thank griffindork93 for that. I will write the wave arch next, I think the next one will be kind of long. So review and fav, I love hearing from all of you.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Sakura had become an unoffical member of team seven. She often joined us for training, sometimes they would join Sakura and I. The dobe followed her around like a little puppy, seeking attention from its master. I saw that Sakura liked Naruto, despite his, loud, rude, brash, stupid and unmannerly, behaviour. She thought he was funny.

Sakura also got along with the stalker, it turns out, Sakura had told him, that Sai didn't know how to behave socially. She had told him to be a little nicer, he didn't like that. Instead of being _anything_ to the boy, he ignored him completely. It was nicer, before when his attention did go to the other dark haired boy he was hostile, now he made sure that his attention was never on him.

Kakashi and Sakura got on well. Sakura had informed him that Kakashi and Yamato were on the same ANBU team for a while. She said she also got a warning from Yamato about staying away from him. After refusing Yamato, he had told her she passed, and Sakura being the curious, smart and cunning girl she is decided to trick him into telling her what she passed. It turns out that Kakashi and him worked together to see if they were serious about the other. I knew Yamato would have done it, in all seriousness, for Sakura, but I didn't know why Kakashi would. The two would often talk about the kind of training that they did. Kakashi liked her methods of training and would sometimes give her a few pointers to improve her training. He also told her the story line to his book, without the sex scenes.

Yamato, he found out, was Sakura's god-father. Sakura had said that he was often away on missions but every few years he had a few weeks off to spend with her. He didn't have kids so Sakura was his only concern for these weeks. He was also found at team seven practices with Sakura. He, though, wasn't late and often when he and Sakura got there they would start training without their jounin sensei. The first time Kakashi saw that they were training without them he was, sarcastically, hurt. But just like us with his lame excuses, he got over it. Yamato had a weird wood affinity, a mixture of earth and water, he explained.

Yamato and Sakura, though, were not officially team seven. They didn't go on missions with them, they couldn't, Yamato out ranked them so much that it would have been a few years before they met him without Sakura. Sakura had no rank, she wasn't a ninja at all and it was only her Hyuuga name that kept her from, both, becoming a gennin or being killed, it wasn't against the law for a ninja clan member that is not a ninja to know ninja technique. But still, these non-ninja's seemed to come up dead, most of them to make sure that they don't give there ninja skills away.

It depressed him slightly to know that Sakura's goal had yet to come true. She had helped him so much to get closer to his. Sure she was strong, but no one wanted to take a chance on her. The Hyuuga made it clear to anyone who asked that their eldest heiress would never be a ninja. Not many would go against the current largest, most powerful clan in the fire country. The Uchiha clan could of, before...before _that man._ He'd kill him, _he had to._

Sasuke was going to miss Sakura. Yamato was taking her to the land of tea, Sakura was the only one of the Hyuuga clan's heiress's that had never left the village walls. Yamato, after many years of trying, had convinced Hiashi to let him take Sakura on a little vacation. Sakura had been happy to go, not so much to leave Sasuke. He smiled at that. Sakura had at once asked he if he could come, but Sasuke was a newly appointed gennin and he couldn't take a vacation one month into his ninja career. When Sakura had learnt of this she said she'd stay with him, but he refused, and told her that Yamato had gone to a lot of trouble to get this vacation for her and refusing to go because he couldn't was selfish. He disliked calling her selfish but it had done the trick. Sasuke would miss Sakura's birthday, but he said they would celebrate when she returned.

Sakura had her bags packed and was just waiting on me, She said that she wouldn't move until he had come to the compound to say goodbye. He had agreed and told her that, after his missions, he would be there to see her off.

Right now he had just finished one mission, it was to capture a cat, seeing how he was treated I decided that I'd run too. We were at the Hokage tower to pick up the next one. The choices were stupid. Why would a ninja waste his time on babysitting? Even gennin could be better used on something else. So when the dobe went off I was secretly glad, a C-ranked mission would keep my mind off Sakura's leaving. Though Naruto's lack of respect to the people in the room would have gotten others killed, I had learnt that Naruto was special. Half the things he'd done would have gotten someone else jailed, but Naruto barely got any punishments at all. And sometimes, like now, he got rewarded, we now had a C-ranked mission. It was biased behaviour that I didn't understand, but right now, was thankful for.

* * *

Our charge was a drunk bridge builder, someone who thought of Naruto as stupid, which was completely true. His name was Tazuna. Kakashi dismissed us to go pack, we were going to be there a few weeks. I smiled, if I was lucky than this mission would help take my mind off Sakura's absence, and maybe she'd already be back when I returned.

It didn't take me long to pack, I got together all the things I needed, Kakashi said to meet him at the gates in an hour. I double checked that I had all I needed, nodding I took off in the direction of the Hyuuga compound.

I had reached the compound ten minutes later, I still had forty minutes before I had to be at the gates. I was let in easily, the gate keepers hadn't asked for a pass or asked my state of business in a little under a year. He then made his way to the main house.

Sakura was the one who answered the door, she had his grin on her face, she had probably been waiting. I saw Yamato in the living room when Sakura invited me in. The Hyuuga's main house was large, though very plain, he'd never been given a tour, never wanted one, but he suspected that it was decorated the same upstairs too. Sakura had tea made, sat and looked at her.

"I've been given a C-ranked mission." Sasuke spoke when Sakura handed him his tea.

Sakura faced him and grinned again.

"Wow, Sasuke. That's great."

"Aa. I leave for wave in a half hour."

"So suddenly?" She looked startled.

"Aa."

"Well, be careful." She grabbed my hand and squeezing it. I knew she was just worried so I didn't mind the comment and she didn't let go until I agreed. She ginned at me again before continuing. "We can travel together for a little too, the land of wave and the land of tea is in the same direction."

"Not for long Sakura, the land of tea and the land of wave are very far from each other, we would only travel together for two miles." Yamato said.

"Still Mato-san we could leave together." She said before directing a question at me.

"Sasuke? Do you think that it would be alright with your client?"

"I don't see him caring." I answered, it was only two miles.

* * *

The old drunk didn't care, in fact he seemed happy, until he was told that Yamato and Sakura were not assigned the mission too. It was strange, suspicious. The dope was near unbearable, he went from overly hyper to overly angry to fawning after his girlfriend. No matter how many times he was told that she was Sasuke's girlfriend, he couldn't help himself from asking her out. It was irritating.

Sai wasn't much better, he had a book in his hand and often asked Sakura about things. He had also, was too close to her. He'd call her things that Sasuke didn't like either. He called her ugly and hag, at first Sakura had been very hurt. It showed in her every move to him, she was still nice but her hand twitched every now and then. The only saving grace was Sai being so awkward and went on. _"Did I do it right? I read that males of my age often say things they do not mean when talking to girls whom they find to be appealing in some way. It says they often want the attention of them."_ He had pulled out a book and was flipping through it. Sakura smiled and giggled, I remember Sai looking up at her in shook, and that was the first real smile I ever saw on Sai's face.

When it was time for us to part ways Sakura handed me a scroll.

"I was going to give it to you for when I left. I can't have you starving." She grinned.

"what is it?"

"It's a storage scroll, it has a couple of tomato dishes in it. Just put a little chakra in it and instant meal." She smiled again. "I hold my stuff in one too. Yamoto gave me a few for my birthday one year."

I smiled softly and squeezed her hand in thanks. I'd tell her later. She kissed me on the check before she took Yamato's arm and left.

"Ja ne Sasuke. Ja everyone." She said walking off.

"Bye Saukra-chan."

"Farewell Ugly."

"Ja."

"Ja ne Sakura."

She was gone soon and the scroll was stored away in my pocket.

"Hey. How come Sakura only made you food? What about me." I sighed, _the dobe just didn't get that Sakura was _my_ girlfriend._

"Maybe she forgot. Hey, Sakura-chan you forgot my food."

_Nope he didn't get it at all._

* * *

It was down the road that we were attacked. They had gotten Kakashi, though I'd seen the log that laid there and felt the thin genjutsu on it. I didn't waste anytime I attacked them. Sai wasn't skilled enough for close combat and it seemed as if Naruto had frozen. Dobe, he couldn't detect the genjutsu, and even Sai who couldn't detect it either was making sure to protect the client.

I was beating them easily until they split up, I ran in front of Sai and Tazuna. The ninja was still running at me. I came up with a counter, it would be rough, but it could work.

I didn't have to worry though, Kakashi appeared and took out both nins with the ease that only came to people that had the skill of a jounin. or higher. Kakashi confronting Tazuna as I went over to the dobe.

"Are you alright...scready cat?" I smirked and turned away from him, I heard him yelling at me but I went back towards Kakashi who was tying the rogue nin's to a tree.

"I knew you were dickless, but I didn't know you were balls-less too." And with the stalkers comment Naruto went off again, this time at Sai.

I shook my head, my teammates were both idiots.

* * *

We were sitting in a boat, not too far from the land of wave when Kakashi finally asked.

"I need to know." He spoke slowly and carefully. "Why there are ninja assassins after you."

Tazuna was quiet for a long time, only the sound of the waves hitting the boat could be heard.

"Then I'll have to tell you." Then Tazuna shook his head. "No. I want to tell you. I owe you that much, its like you said, this is not a C-ranked mission." Tazuna looked out into the water as he explained.

"The one who seeks my life is a very rich man by the name of Gato. He is a short man who casts a very long and deadly shadow."

"A deadly shadow?" Sai cocked his head, smile in place.

"Do you mean Gato of Gato's transport? The business leader?" Kakashi asked.

Tazuna nodded. "Gato is a very famous tycoon, thats true. But below the surface, with the same ruthlessness he uses to take over businesses and nations. He sells drugs and contraband, using gangs and ninja. It was a year ago that he set his sights on the land of waves. He came to our small island and used his wealth to take over our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way...disapaered." Tazuna said grimly. "In a island nation the person who controls the sea, controls the country. Finance, government, our very lives." There was a determination that entered his eyes, it surprised me slightly. Tazuna was more than a drunk old man.

"But there is one thing he fears." He went on. "It's the bridge, if it is built it will connect us to the main land and his control over our land will cease. I am the bridge builder."

Tazuna finished passionately.

"So that is it. Your standing in this 'Gato's' way?" Sai asked.

"That means those ninja we fought in the forest we Gato's." I thought out loud.

"I don't understand." Kakashi said with a slightly sharp edge to his voice, " If you knew he was dangerous. Knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you. Why would you hide that from us?"

"Because," He said in a gruff voice, "the land of wave is a very small and poor nation. even our nobles have very little Ryo. It's the common people who are building this bridge and they can't pay for a A or B ranked mission. It is too expensive." He locked eyes with Kakashi. "If you end this mission when we get to shore, there will be no bridge. They will assassinate me before I get home."

He looked around and then sighed when he did not get a reaction from us, Sai still smiled, Naruto was still confused, I was expressionless and Kakashi...wore a mask.

"Of course my sweet little grandson will be upset. He'd cry," His voice turned high-pitched. "Grandad. I want my grandad."

Guilt trip. He was trying to guilt trip us. I narrowed my eyes, I wanted to carry on with this mission so that I might have a chance to fight some stronger ninja. However I did not like to be manipulated, for a second I spitefully considered leaving him to be killed. Though the thought of fighting someone at least a little challenging was too much for me to handle.

My musing made me miss the second part of his guilt trip. Something I was grateful for.

"Oh well. It's not your fault. Forget it." He ended it with a sigh.

Kakashi sighed and said that we'd help, "We have no choice." He'd said and as I watched a devious and smug grin cross the old mans face I'd contemplated the thought of how much trouble it would save us if he fell out of the boat.

"Oh' I'm very grateful." He said grinning, I also managed to catch his whispered comment. "I win."

If it wasn't for the fact that I wanted my first C-rank to be successful I'd let this man be killed, sweet little grandson or not.

* * *

The dobe was acting ridiculous. He was running a head of everyone and looking around. He had his eyes narrowed and was throwing kunai's at every other bush. It put everyone on edge and made Tazuna go off at him when he 'reassured' everyone that it was "just a mouse." _Idoit_.

Even Kakashi was telling him off. He ignored them all and carried on acting like a fool. All he was really doing was distracting us from looking for the real threat.

"No their over there!" He exclaimed throwing another kunai. I narrowed my eyes, I'd heard a slight rustle over there too.

"You know that lying isn't good, dickless." Sai commented smiling.

Naruto ran over to check out where he had thrown his kunai.

"Oh no. I almost killed the poor little white rabbit. I'm so sorry Mr rabbit. I didn't mean it, Believe it." Naruto said picking up the rabbit.

Tch. It was just a stupid rabbit.

I looked the other way, I could feel something, it was a feeling that was saying something was about to happen. I wasn't one to often listen to gut feelings but I looked around the area just to be sure. Kakashi-sensei must have been thinking the same thing because he, too, was surveying the area with his experienced eyes. Although that wasn't saying much because he'd had those eyes since after we were attacked.

It was pure reflex that made me tackle Tazuna to the ground as Kakashi said to look out. A second later a giant sword flew over our heads and slammed into a tree that was behind us. It must have been swung pretty hard because it was in a few inches deep. Then suddenly there was a ninja standing on the handle of the sword.

The man standing on the sword was tall and broad, he wasn't wearing a shirt and he looked as if he was wearing pj pants. He was looking over his shoulder slightly, as if we didn't really seem like a threat to him. And he also gave the aura of a dark power that lurked just under that surface. I was analyzing him and one thing was for certain, he would not be as easy to take down as the last nins.

"Well, if it isn't Momochi Zabuza, Mist rouge nin." Kakashi lazily went on.

The dobe tried to charge at him but was stopped by Kakashi.

"No Naruto stay by Tazuna and protect him. This man it on another level from those other ninja. I'll fight him myself." Kakashi warned stepping closer to the assasin. "And if He's our opponent I'll need this."

Kakashi lifted his hatai-ate that covered eye. What I saw there shocked me. Instead of another dark eye he had a Sharingan implanted into his socket. How was it possible. i was sure that Kakashi was not a Uchiha.

"Kakashi of the Sharingan eye. Did I get that right." It was a statement, not a question, he had known he was right already. "It's too bad you have to hand over that old man."

"Protect the bridge builder...don't get into this fight." Only a few words sunk in, I was still trying to process the red spinning eye that was a Sharingan

"It looks like I'm ready." Kakashi said.

"Well. It looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action." Zabuza said finally turning around.

"Sharingan, Sharingan. Will someone please tell me what the hell a Sharingan is?" Naruto yelled.

I explained what Sharingan was in a slight daze. I told the dobe everything I had learnt form the upper Uchiha library, which was very little.

"However," I finished, "there is more to the Sharingan then that. A lot more."

"But thats only scratches the surface, kid." Zabuza says.

With that said mist covered the air, thin at first before quickly getting thicker until they were unable to see more the a few feet in front of them. But Zabuza's voice cut through the mist and it seemed as if were speaking from everywhere.

"Back in the hidden Mist, we had orders to kill you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book. They called you the man who copied over one thousand jutsu. Kakashi, the copy ninja."

"Make sure you stay behind me. He'll come after me first. Sai have you got your jutsu ready?" Kakashi said.

"I can't use it in this mist, its too damp. Also the air is laced with chakra, I have no clue what it would do to it." Sai wasn't smiling, his face fell into a blank expression.

Kakashi told us more and more about our opponent, but really he was trying to locate Zabuza ib the mist. Amazing plan, if he was no currently giving his own position away.

"So don't let your guard down." Kakashi finished.

_Yes because we were planing to stop for a tea party._

"But if we fail we only lose our lives." Kakashi said.

"Eight points." Zabuza's voice cut through the mist, he then went on listing body parts, I narrowed eyes, they were all vital spots in the human body. "Now. Which will be my attack point."

Everything was getting hazy, blurry, I didn't really know what was happening. With the killing intent of both Kakashi and Zabuza, the mist wasn't the only thing that was smothering. Weakly, for a second, I contemplated ended it all myself.

I didn't really remember or even really understand what had happened until the mist lifted to show Zabuza had trapped Kakashi.

Zabuza was standing on top of the water with one hand in a spherical orb of water. There, sitting in his jutsu, was none other than their sensei.

Then he made a few one handed signs and made a water clone.

"You think wearing a hetai-ate makes you a ninja. When you've walked the line of life and death so many times it no longer bothers you. When you have killed so many people, that your name ends up in my bingo book. Only the can you truly call yourself a ninja."

I tuned him out, I was trying to think of a plan. It was slightly aggravating that Naruto was the one that came up with the plan. I'd tried to, I was trying to attack him, gain some information on his ability, but even his water clone was really hard to beat. He swatted Naruto and I off like we were pesky flies. bit we had managed to free Kakashi-sensei, he now was able to fight.

The fight between the two jounin was something that was awe inspiring. The power of both the jutsu's and the way Kakashi wielded his Sharingan eye was...breath-taking.

What I didn't like was the hunter ninja that came by and killed Zabuza, he was only around our age. Yet he had taken out Zabuza so easily. He didn't even break a sweat. This ninja must have been very powerful and I felt a tinge of jealousy. He also reminded me of that man, so powerful at such a young age.

After Kakashi had made sure the man was dead, and had calmed Naruto from his rant, the masked boy took Zabuza's body and left. He hid his Sharingan again.

Kakashi was about to say something when he paused, something catching his attention from the corner of his eye. "Yamato?" Kakashi said confused.

I whipped my head to see that it was indeed Yamato, Sakura too. They were running towards us. They reached us within seconds.

"Kakashi, what happened?" Yamato said as Sakura approached me.

She didn't say a word just wrapped her arms around me. I clung to her. After that intense fight I welcomed her embrace, even though I was confused as to why she was here. I needed her and I was glad she was here.

"We were attacked by a missing-nin. Momochi Zabuza."

"The demon of the mist? One of the seven swords men? Master of the silent killing technique? That Momochi Zabuza." Yamato said it disbelief.

"Yeah the same one." Kakashi said as he hid his Sharingan. I wanted to know how he got it. He wasn't a Uchiha. "What are you doing here? Your suppose to be in the land of tea already."

"Sakura-hime gave Sasuke-san the wrong scroll. He has some of her...uh clothing." Yamato blushed slightly.

"You could have just gotten more on your trip." I said to Sakura as I reluctantly pulled away from her.

Her face was a light pink.

"Some of my clothes you have would need a woman to help me pick them out. I don't think Yamato wants to do that kind of shopping with me. Also, I didn't want you to see..those things." Sakura said, she then added something, only my highly trained ears picked up. Just one word. "Yet."

I fought the blush, I really did, but it couldn't be helped. I looked away from everyone so no one would see. I Couldn't believe what she had said. I knew that it wasn't meant to be heard, but she had to know my hearing was good, really good, she, after all, trained me to use my ears as eyes. Then had she meant for me to hear? Did she want me to know that she planned that far ahead.

"Kakashi-sensei!" I was broken from my thoughts at the dobe's voice. There was also a _woosh_ sound and then the sound of catching someone else. I looked over to see Kakashi-sensei in Yamato's arms.

* * *

Yamato carried Kakashi to Tazuna's house. It was a good thing they had come back, Kakashi was heavy. What Sasuke didn't like was having Sakura there. If this Gato decided to send more people after this man, he didn't want Sakura to get caught up in it. She wasn't a ninja, though she was powerful, she wasn't a match for someone like Zabuza, he wasn't even a match for Zabuza. But the truth was his dislike of her being her had nothing to do with her skills, he was worried for her well being.

But when they got to Tazuna's house and Kakashi was in a bed, it was a good thing she was there too. Sakura had used used her medical ninjutsu to check on Kakashi, she healed a cracked rib and gave him a little chakra. She had informed them that he was fine. Chakra exhaustion was all that was wrong, his coils weren't meant to support the power of the Sharingan.

That was another thing I wanted to know about. Why did Kakashi have a Sharingan eye? He wanted answers but even if Kakashi was up, now was not the time. When they were back in Konoha, when the mission was over, that was when he'd ask.

It was an hour later that Kakashi woke up. We had explained what had happened to Sakura and Yamato. We also told them about Gato.

"Kakashi-sensei!" It was Naruto who noticed first.

Sakura rushed to his side, helping him up, then she put two green glowing hands on him, checking how he was.

"You're going to be tired and slightly weak, I could gather some herbs that would help you recover faster though. I'd say you'd be as good as new by tomorrow if you I get the herbs today." Sakura smiled. "It's a good thing we're so close to the sea, there are many different herbs that help restore extensive chakra loss. I may even pick a few to take home."

"Arigato Sakura-san." Kakashi nodded.

Sakura shook her head."It's a good thing I was here, if not you would have been down for a week."

"Sensei? Why do you use your Sharingan if it puts you in so much strain? Is it not bad for your health?" Sai asked.

"Well it can't be all bad, he did manage to take out one of the most powerful ninja assassins. I think we'll be safe for a while." Tazuna walked in.

"Yea, but I'm still not sure about that guy." Naruto said, he was pouting, he still didn't understand how someone could be so powerful at such a young age. I shook my head, that man was strong at that age, stronger, strong enough to wipe out a whole village.

"He's an elite ninja from the village hidden in the Mist. Part of a division that specializes in tracking and taking out ninja that go rogue. You can tell by the masks they wear, its only given to to most elite shinobi." Kakashi said.

"A Hunter-nin. They make sure that all the village secrets are kept. A shinobi holds a lot of secrets in his body and his chakra. If a enemy village got a hold of a missing-nin's body they could study it and learn some of the jutsu's from the other village. Then their village would be endanger." Yamato added.

"For instance." Kakashi carried on. "If I were to die at the hands of an enemy. He would try to analyze my Sharingan. In the worst case, my all jutsu's could be stolen and used against our own village."

"It is the duty of the Shinobi trackers to make sure that the village secrets stay safe. If a ninja betrays his village, it is the Hunter-ninjas job to track him down and obliderate every trace of his existence." Again Yamato added.

"Yes. They deal with the body on the spot, so there is no room for error." Kakashi finished.

"Then that hunter ninja must be as smart as Naruto. He did not do that. Do you think he was being considerate towards the civilian that was accompanying us?" Sai asked.

"I don't think so. I've seen hunter-nins take out missing-nins in the middle of crowded streets with children running around. Mist ninja are even more brutal." Kakashi said.

"So? Maybe there are some kind people in mist. they all can't be bad." Naruto said.

"Yes, but think of the weapons he used." Kakashi went on.

"Senbon." I said getting it, it was the first weapon I had studied two years ago when Sakura gave me that book. "They can only kill when they hit a vital organ. There is no vital organ in the neck."

"Sasuke's right." Sakura said, she was the one who knew anatomy the best.

"But what does that mean Kaka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"It means that Zabuza is not dead. that boy was probably his partner." Kakashi said grimly.

"Now wait a minute. You checked for a pulse. There was none." Tazuna said.

"There is a pressure point in the neck that makes the heart slow down enough to make it undetectable. Only a medic would be able to tell." Sakura said. "A senbon would be perfect to hit the point, it would be painful though. Also it would put a normal ninja out of commission for a week."

"Yes, but he'll probably be back in half that." Kakashi said.

Sakura nodded, "If that boy is also a medic ninja he'll be back in two days. But even if he's not, by the sound of it he is skilled enough in the body for him to help Zabuza recover in a few days less than needed."

"Well then. We better start training boys. He'll be coming back in a few days." Kakashi said.

"We must be off too. We'll miss our check in time if we don't hurry." Yamato said.

"We can't go Yamato-san. Zabuza will be coming back. We can't leave them alone." Sakura looked appalled at the notion.

"Sakura," I interfered, "It's dangerous."

"So."

"You could get hurt. Or killed." I said.

"I won't fight then. I'll just make sure no one dies after the fight." She said with a nod of her head.

"Your father trusts me to keep you safe while we are away."

"I'm not leaving." Sakura said stubbornly, I knew her mind was already made up, I gave in.

"But Hime, we've planned this trip for years." Yamato looked put out, he had not given up yet.

"I know Yamato-san but if I'll worry so much, this is a mission that they aren't ready for. I know those baka's are going to get hurt, and when they do, I'll be here to patch them up." Sakura burned with a determination that made Yamato deflate.

"Fine Sakura-sama, we can stay." Yamato conceded.

"Well thats all well and good, but I don't think that Tazuna has enough room for everyone here." Kakashi said interrupting Sakura's victory.

"Don't worry Kakashi, I've learnt a few tricks since we were on the same team." Yamato smiled.

* * *

Yamato had just grew a house. He had grown a two story, five bedroom house at the back of Tazuna's house. He grew a house in seconds.

"Wow. That was the most awesome think I've ever seen. Dattebayo."

"Sakura and I will sleep here." He said ignoring Naruto, "One of you can join us but I think someone the rest of you should sleep near your charges." I took a brief look at the dobe and the stalker, I wouldn't let them sleep anywhere near Sakura.

"I'll sleep here too." I said quickly as I saw the dobe open his mouth.

"Good idea Sasuke." Kakashi said, "Go put your thinks away and we'll start training."

* * *

Sakura and Yamato stayed to unpack their things, most of them were sealed in scrolls. Sakura had said it would take an hour to set up the house and that they couldn't waste time like that. _"We'll find you when we're done."_ They left soon after.

Kakashi had taken us to a clearing about a half a mile away from the house. He then processed to explain the importance of chakra to Naruto who had no idea what it was. After five minutes wasted he then processed to tell us how we were going to train.

When he walked straight up the tree none of us were impressed, I didn't know about the other two, but I'd already knew how to tree walk.

"Please Kaka-sensei. That's so easy. I know how to do that." The dobe said. It was surprising, Naruto was such an idiot and he wasn't even able to make simple illusion clones. Yet he says he knew how to tree walk?

"I also know how to tree walk." The stalker added.

"Hn." I nodded, I was so glad Sakura had taught me.

"Show me and I'll teach you the more advanced test." He said.

We each picked a tree, and, like our sensei, walked up it and stood under a branch.

"Well then. I'll teach you the more advance one."

We left again, this time we went to a lake that was a few miles away. Even though the sea was closest Kakashi said it would be a bad idea to go there. Zabuza may have been out of commission for now but his partner was fine. It was better to be in a closed area than on a open beach.

The more advanced chakra control excercise turned out to be water walking. When Kakashi walked onto the water with a practiced ease it was amazing. Not the first time they had seen it, but still amazing.

Sai did it just as easily as tree walking, he smiled fakely. Naruto ran, he didn't even get a step onto the water before sinking. And then he tried, He thought he was doing great, he had taken a few steps. This was easy, he could do any-splash.

"Hahaha, teme. You should see your face." Naruto laughed next to me in the water. I dunked him under and swam back to shore.

I had a long day training ahead.

* * *

I was walking back when I'd run into Sakura, she was holding on to Yamato's arm as they navigated through the thick forest. The forest in the land of wave was smaller than the one in the fire country. There was less trees, but by the small, and only, lake on the island, there were more trees and more than a few roots.

"Sorry." Sakura commented. "I didn't want to leave Tsunami-san to do all the cooking. There is a lot more people here than she is use to and I didn't want to leave her with all the work."

"It's okay." I said as her hand slipped out of Yamato's grasp and into mine. The gesture made him frown slightly.

"I know you have all your tomato dishes." She said softly. "But I wanted to ask if you would eat with us."

I looked at her and her face was tilted down slowly. If one didn't know any better, they would say she was looking at her feet. I, on the other hand, knew that it was a simple gesture that showed that she was shy, in anticipation for the answer but also steeling herself for disappointment.

"Hai." I agreed and her soft smile brightened.

I mean how bad could one dinner turn out to be.

* * *

Really bad, apparently. Sai, in all his brutally honest and emotionally stunned glory, had asked about a torn picture hanging on the wall. However he smiled all through the sad story and the anger child who stormed out after being yelled at by Naruto. Naruto too stormed off, saying he was going to train.

It was quiet after that, we soon finished dinner and I helped Sakura with th dishes.

"You don't have to do that Sasuke. I have it." she said.

"Hn." Was my only reply as I carried on drying, I saw Sakura smiling.

* * *

The next day Sakura and Yamato joined them. Kakashi and Sai had left to watch Tazuna. Sakura easily walked on the water. I felt jealous. It was stupid, but she could do it so easily, and I couldn't.

"We ran across the water to get here." Sakura had told me.

"So it's not your first time doing this? Ne Sakura-chan?"

"No Naruto-san."

"Then can you tell us how to do it?" The dobe asked.

"It's different from tree walking, I suppose that Kakashi-san didn't tell you that?" She continued on as her answer. "To water walk you have to make sure the chakra is always flowing, just like water. The water moves and so does your chakra, the tree is still, so is your chakra. To walk on water though, instead of trying to get your feet to cling to the water, you have to repel it, just slightly." She coached me through the steps, Naruto needed more help but he didn't get what she was saying. Still he was making progress, both of them.

We stayed there all day and Sakura helped both Naruto and I. She coached us both, trying to make us understand how to do something that just came naturally to her.

Yamato sat there, he gave a few pointers but mostly he just lied in the sun. He had not left Sakura's side for very long from when they first got here.

"I'm pretty impressed, you managed to learn water walking in only a two days." Sakura commented As we walked home, Yamato and Naruto were talking a few steps behind us.

"I'm not done." I said as I walked to the surface of the lake. I could hold out on the water for about five minutes but it took all of my concentration and also a few seconds to get use to standing.

"I still have a long way to go." I retorted.

"But at least this will help you for your control and, eventually, your medically ninjutsu." She grinned happily.

"Aa." I nodded, that would be nice, I still hadn't reached a point that I could repair my muscle damages, but getting somewhere is better than getting nowhere.

"I know you'll have it down tomorrow." Sakura said to reassuringly.

"I hope your right." I said gruffly.

"I'm always right."

* * *

Sakura was right, by the next day everything had sunk in and I now could water walking as easily as I could tree walk. Sakura grinned smugly when she realised that I'd done it, there was no splash. And though she never said it. There was an, I told you so, in her expression.

I'm glad she didn't say anything though.

* * *

The next day I joined Kakashi and Sai with guard duty, Naruto, the idiot, had wasted too much chakra and was now sleeping through everything. I shook my head, if the dobe didn't wake from his own snoring, nothing would be able to walk him before he rises. Sakura and Yamato stayed too.

When we got to the bridge, it was littered with the bodies of the workers, I didn't know wether they were dead or alive. Mist was everywhere again too, it covered the bridge, it was not as thick as the other though and you could still make out the shapes of your enemy vaguely.

I was excited, shaking at the chance to fight. I wanted to defeat them, then I would be one step closer to that man's level. I manage to take out all Zabuza clones. Then Kakashi charged me to fight the masked man.

Easy. I thought.

I was confident, overtly so. I had under estimated his opponents skills and over estimated his own. It was something I was paying dearly for. And I did, I was trapped, the only reason I was still alive was because his opponent was soft. If he had been as ruthless as his partner, Sasuke would already be dead. He knew that now. This Haku was strong and fast and had a kekei genkai that he wielded well. Sasuke couldn't beat him. It would have helped if he had one of Sai's Ink beasts. But with this mist they were impossible.

I knew I was in trouble and when Naruto showed up he was thankful, for a whole half a second before the fool messed up. The idiot just kept on doing stupid thing after stupid thing. What was he thinking sneaking in here?

I growled. I had to do everything myself. I tried to melt the ice mirrors but it was no use. As Haku had said, the fire was not hot enough.

than there was a moment there, after I activated my Sharingan where I thought We'd win. With the Sharingan I saw the where the next senbons were headed and acted. When I had told the dobe that my body just moved I was not lying. It was as if something in me just screamed to protect him. I didn't know why because I didn't like the dobe, he was an idoit. I didn't even realise what I was giving away until I started to flicker in and out of conciseness. I don't really remember what I was saying. But the one thing I _do_ remember saying before I blacked out completely was.

_"Look after Sakura. Keep her...safe."_

Then I knew no more.

* * *

Darkness. All I saw was darkness. I heard a low mermur, like a hum. I smelt blood, tasted it too. I felt...pain. Complete pain. Everywhere and nowhere, mostly everywhere. He briefly wondered if he was dying. He hoped not. He hadn't killed that man yell. He had to live to do that. And to think, he died for the dobe. He'd probably go after Sakura when I'm gone. He didn't like that. But he had asked for him to watch out for her, what had he been thinking? It didn't matter.

He was disappointed. He had lived most of his life for the sole purpose of killing _that man_ and now he was dying. He'd never even got the chance to try.

He'd miss Sakura too, he, now realised that he loved her, he really did. It was ironic that he only now realised that he loved her as he was dying. Sasuke didn't even know he was still able to love but these feelings were much too strong to be merely like or just a strong fondness. Uchiha Sasuke loved Hyuuga Sakura. And she'd never would know because he was going to die on this cold bridge.

"Sasuke." A voice broke through the darkness, it sounded so far away, though familiar.

He didn't know if he should follow it, it made him feel warm but he didn't know where it would lead him.

"Sasuke...ke up." I was fading in and out.

"Don...eav..." I tried to concentrate on the voice

"I...you" I couldn't help my curiosity, I strain myself to hear.

"Sasuke. Wake up. Don't leave me." She was sobbing. I recognised the voice. It was Sakura.

"Sasuke please. I love you. You can't leave me. I don't want to be alone again." the pain in my body was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I'd never seen or heard her so...broken. That's what she was, she was breaking and it was because of me, because I was dying.

"I know your not dying. So just wake up." I tried to lift my head, she was lying on my chest.

"Sakura...your heavy." Her head shot up. Her eyes were teary and for the first time the fact that she was blind was plain as day, she looked so lost and sad. With tears in her eyes, eyes that weren't looking at me or at anything. I was suddenly hit with how she vulnerable she was, for a second doubt creeped into me. She was too weak to be here, she couldn't see and Haku was too good for her to fight. Why was she here anyway?

"Is he alright Sakura-hime?"

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding in when I heard Yamato's voice. Yamato was here and could protect Sakura, right now that was something I just couldn't do. It had little to do with the fact that I was injured. It was the fact that I didn't have enough skills to defeat that boy. Even with my newly discovered Sharingan.

"He's fine." Sakura said. "Is the enemy gone?"

"Hai."

A wave of relief and exhaustion creeped up on me, I found myself fighting to keep my eyes open. I was so...

"Sleep Sasuke. Everything is fine now." Sakura said softly. I think I nodded, I wasn't really sure. I knew my head moved but before I could decide whether it had nodded or just fell limply, I was asleep.

* * *

**I finished so late. But it is 8000 words too. I'm so sorry about how this chapter is paced, I like of suck at rewriting fight scenes. I think from now on I'll either skip them or just write a whole new one. Please don't hate me, this chapter kept me up all night, I wasn't even writing, just staring at the page. Definitely worse chapter I've written.**

**Okay people, I am writing a side story is Sakura's POV, I'm kind of stuck on Sakura's upbring though. So, is they anything you would want to know about her growing up as a Hyuuga? That way I could get a few ideas and also answer some of you questions. So fire away. What do you want to know about the Sakura of this story? Also, check out my new story, 'Taking Bloodlines'. And yes, that is me shamelessly pimping out another one of my stories. R&R.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Naruto owns Kishimoto, wait. Reverse that.**

* * *

When I woke next I was in the room Yamato had given to me. By body didn't hurt as much as it had when I'd fallen to sleep. That was the first thing I noticed, the second was the small weight that rested on my chest. I looked down and all I saw was pick. A bubblegum pink that could only be the Hair of a certain green eyed Hyuuga. I could smell her hair. It smelt like the forest. It was a ninja shampoo, it was nice, I didn't like how the academy girls bathed in scents, it was unpractical.

I heard her calm breaths and I knew she was sleeping. I sighed, for a second I thought of yesterday, of how I could have lost this, lost her. I could have lost my vengeance and my life, everything that made me, me. If Haku had been more cold blooded, more like that man...I would have been dead twice over. I shook my head. No, I was alive and I would get stronger, strong enough kill that man and strong enough to protect this girl.

Sakura stirred and I savoured her warmth one last time before she woke. I contemplated pretending to be asleep but I knew that she would know. Chakra, she had told me, couldn't lie, its stronger when someone is awake.

"Ohayou Sasuke." Sakura said sitting up, the bedroll was small but Sakura was so small that she still could fit on it with smiled at him her voice was laced with a raspy husky tone that came with morning.

"Ohayou." I replied, though I had a less raspy tone in my voice signaling that I had just woken, it wasn't as predominate as hers. I sat too.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, she looked slightly worried as she laid a glowing green had on Sasuke.

"Fine." I told her honestly, I felt fine, I felt even good, but that had little to do with my health.

"Well there seems to be no-" She was interrupted by Yamato, whose voice could be heard from down stairs. "Sakura-hime. Where is my favourite Birthday girl?" It seems he was coming upstairs to look for her.

It was Sakura's birthday? It couldn't be, that would mean he had sleep for two days. It would also mean that if he had not woken now he would have missed Sakura's birthday, something he'd never done since they had met. He always spent Sakura's birthday with her, something that made her trip to the land of tea hard for him. He was really glad that he got to spend time with her.

Yamato had walked into his room, guessing that Sakura would have been with him when he found her room empty.

"Sasuke. Your up." He pointed out surprised. "I was sure you wouldn't wake up until tomorrow at least."

"Hn." I shrugged.

"Well, get ready Sakura, we leave in half an hour." Yamato said before disappearing.

"Where are you going?" I asked when he had left.

"No where special, were just going to have a picnic by the lake. we're also going swimming. I was hoping you'd wake so that you could come too. I wasn't going without you." She grinned, then she stopped, a look of guilt crossing her face. "Unless your not feeling up to it, then we could stay."

My chest warmed and I smiled, she was so thoughtful.

"Go get ready." She beamed.

* * *

Sakura's fifteenth birthday went well. It wasn't the worse one Sasuke shared with her, that award went to her Thirteenth, or the best, her fourteenth, but it went well. Everyone had fun, Naruto was less of an idiot, or at least somewhat easier to ignore, and Sai was less stalkerish, but that could be because he was spending time with Sasuke. Yamato still went around calling Sakura hime and sama but at least he said it quietly, she could still hear it, I'm sure, but she ignored it. Kakashi did constantly read his little pervy book, but he contained his giggles so no one heard him.

Sakura beamed all the way through, she laughed at every joke, even the not so funny ones. She said thank you to every present, giving hugs and kisses on the check, I scowled at this, the dobe looked all too happy for his. Dobe gave Sakura some weeds, he grinned widely as he told her that he pick her some flowers. Sai had drawn her a beautiful picture of herself, it was so detailed and even coloured, I narrowed my eyes, that looked like it had taken days to do, not hours, which was how long his team had known. It was also useless, she couldn't see it. Yamato had given her a hair ornament, it was a cherry blossom that was a few shades darker than her hair. Kakashi's gift was the most surprising of all, he had a copy of hos pervy book converted into braile, excluding the smutty scenes, thank Kami. I didn't know why, or even how, but his eyes twinkled when we asked.

I had left her gift at home, I would have given it to her when she got back, but she ended up staying with us. I ask going to wait and give it when we got home but then suddenly everyone turned to me, waiting to see what I'd gotten my girlfriend. I stiffened, I didn't like the attention, I had nothing on me to give to her. All I had was the clothes on my back, and my weapon pouch. I pretty sure that she didn't want a kunai. But there was also...

I had a necklace that I always wore, my mother had given it to me on my fifth birthday. At the time I thought necklaces were for girls, now I wore it always, it was tight own, on my neck, near choking me, it was the reason I wore high collared shirts. But soon I'd have to stop wearing it. It was a small heart and had the Uchiha fan carved into it. It was painted the Uchiha colors, it was blue with the white and red fan. For so long I had not wanted to part with it, and even now, just the thought of giving it away made my blood boil in anger. But the thought of giving it to Sakura, beautiful, warm, caring Sakura, it seemed right.

Though the thought of giving it to her with everyone watching.

"Are you going to give her a present teme?" Naruto asked.

"Hn." I said getting up, I took her hand and gently pulled, silently asking her to stand. She got the him and stood.

I lead her away from the group, the dobe was screaming at me, asking where I was taking Sakura, Sai was asking if he could come too. I answered a stern 'No. And don't follow.' Before I carried on. We walked for ten minutes before I found a place for Sakura to sit. There was a very small clearing, not even ten feet wide, but in the middle was a tree stump. It looked as if the tree was taken away though because there was no fallen tree nearby and the tree was cleanly cut.

I dusted off the stump before leading her to sit down, it was just large enough for both of us to sit on it.

It was silent for a minute, Sakura hadn't talked so far and I was slightly grateful for it, I needed a while to compose myself. Slowly I reached up and unfastened the clasps on my necklace and took it off. I looked at it for a minute, then my gaze wandered to Sakura, she was just sitting there, smiling. Her head was tilted upwards and she was breathing deeply. She was so beautiful, sometimes I had picture how she would look wearing the Uchiha fan, on her beautiful kimono's. I imagined she would look stunning with my symbol.

Giving her this necklace would mean so much, so much that she wouldn't know. Unless I told her. I'd have to tell her.

"On the day that I turned five." I started catching the surprised look on her face, I never talked about my life before her, unless it was training related. "My mother gave me my very first Uchiha symbol, apart from the one I wear on my shirt. She gave me a necklace, she told me it was tradition to get it on their fifth birthday. Then you got another on your thirteenth. She said you got one last one when you became a she gave me mine, it was a necklace, I didn't like it, I wanted a bracelet or a band like my father and..." I trailed off, not really to share how I was connected to _him_ with her...not yet. She knew I wanted to kill someone, to get revenge for my clan, but she had no idea who. "I was told that the symbol was only to be worn by Uchiha and future Uchiha. I want you to have this." I took her had and placed the necklace in her hand.

She felt it, her expression was shocked. "Sasuke, I don't think I could take this. I want to, but I think you should keep it." Sakura said trying to give it back to me.

"No." I said sternly, "It is yours now." I told her, I took th necklace and clasped it around her neck. It fit perfectly on her slim neck, with still enough room in case her neck grew.

"It looks better on you." It was the truth and I was glad I said it, the smile was wroth it.

But I soon found that my comment had earnt me more than just her smile. I didn't know what happened one second I was looking at her bright smile and upturned lips, the next those lips were pressed to mine.

This kiss was unlike any other we had, I found that no two kisses with Sakura were the same. This one was easily the most heated, her hands frantically pulled me closer. I found my hands on her waist pulling her to me. I could taste her lips, they kind of tasted like strawberries. I was so shocked when the kiss escalated as she opened her mouth slightly to lick my lips. my mouth dropped open slightly in shock and she slipped her tongue into my mouth. her tongue caressed mine and I could taste the tomato's I finally had pulled out of my scroll. My lower stomach fluttered in a way that I'd never felt before, it made a small moan escape my lips.

"Teme!" I ripped away from Sakura as I heard the voice. "Where are you? We want to spend time with Sakura too." I sighed in frustration, the building fluttering feeling was gone now and all I felt was annoyed. The dobe, couldn't even give me a half hour, I knew I wouldn't get anymore time alone with Sakura and we left tomorrow.

Sakura giggled her hair was slightly messier and her lips where puffy. She stood up smiling. "We better get back." She took my hand, I sighed again and stood.

* * *

When Haishi found out where his daughter had been, he was not happy. Sasuke had a front row seat to the show. It was both amusing and slightly frightening to see the normally calm clan head angry. He had talked, rather loudly and boarded on yelling, that Yamato was never to take his daughter again. He ranted and raved about how the man had terrible judgement and would never set foot outside the compound with his daughter.

Sasuke had no clue what he had to do. He wasn't sure how the man had found out that they didn't go to the land of tea but no one asked. He soon found the mans attention on him.

"What are you doing here?" He glared venomously. "You are hereby banished from ever again stepping foot in the Hyuuga compound again. And you are also forbidden to see my daughter. You are a bad influence and I will not have you tainting her further."

My temper flashed and I glared at the man. He couldn't do that, I wouldn't let him. No one could separate me from Sakura, not even her father. I shook my head, I felt my fury pulse, it felt like a white hot pain that ran through my body.

"OTOU!" The scream knocked me out of my angry haze. I looked to see Sakura standing in front of her father. She was blazing with a darkness I'd never seen from her. For the first time, her calm, soothing chakra, that was so much like a stream in summer. Was now a raging storm, it was like both fire and water. The burning flames of darkness with the devastation of a great tsunami. I thought that she had never looked my beautiful than she had at that very moment.

"You can not stop me from seeing Sasuke and if you try I will run away. You will never see me again. I will not leaving Sasuke and you can not make me, he will always be in my life no matter what and you will have to get use to it. If not then you will have to get use to a life without me." Sakura said ferociously. My breath was momentarily taken away from me. The words she had just spoken, how she had stuck up for me, how she told her father that I was more important. More important than her family, her home. It both touched and angered me. I was touched that she'd give up so much for me. I was angry that she'd give up her family. But selfishly I was more glad and so I let a smile slip on to my face for the briefest of second.

"Uchiha-san. Go home, you most likely have a lot of unpacking to do. For now you will not see my daughter." He said sternly. He glared as I said goodbye to Sakura before he ushered her into the main house and I left the Hyuuga compound.

I didn't like the order, I didn't like being denied access to Sakura. I realised just how much my life included her. How much of my days were shared with her. I shared my meals my training sessions, not my missions, though they really shouldn't be called that, they were just chores. But the point was, such a large part of my life was Sakura, she was such a large part of me. And there was no way that I'd let anyone, not even her father, take her away, Sakura wouldn't let that happen either. I nodded convinced, everything would be fine.

* * *

Everything was not fine. It was Saturday now and I had not heard from Sakura. My blood boiled and I was taking all my anger out during training. I'd been going so hard since I got to the training ground, I was hitting some posts, imagining Hiashi's face on it as I punched and kicked it. It was with a furious cry, that I punched the post, I had been so blind in my anger that only half my fist connected to the post. My hand bent at a bad angle and I heard a snap. Pain shot through my arm, my whole arm felt like it was being stabbed, the pain even reached up into my shoulder. I hissed out and looked at my arm. It was in a funny angle, i could see the bone sticking out, though it did not pierce the skin of my arm. It looked really bad, I'd have to go to the hospital. Sakura would have been able to fix it. The pain made all the anger leave my body but it made way for sadness. I felt my eyes sting, it felt as if I was losing Sakura.

"Sasuke what happened?" I was shocked to hear Sakura's voice.

I spun around, hoping against hope that I was not imagining things in my pained state.

"Sakura." I wasn't imagining things, she was standing her, she was wearing her kimono and she was holding her picnic basket and all the sadness, all the anger, it lifted from my heart and I suddenly felt so much lighter.

She grinned at me and I stepped closer, in the light of Sakura's arrival I carelessly knocked my are on the post and another sharp wave of pain shot through me. I took another hissed breath.

Sakura must have heard it too, because the next thing I knew She was in front of me with both hands wondering all over me trying to see where I was hurt. When her glowing green hands mad contact with my arm she gasped slightly.

"Oh Sasuke. This may hurt a little, I'll try to make it as painless as possible but the bone is out of place. I'll have to set it properly before healing it." She said, she coated my arm in her healing green chakra and it numbed slightly, I barely felt the pain of her pulling my arm back into line. She healed it quickly, then her hads moved all over me, healing aches and pains, bruises and cuts. I had been training so hard, I had gotten use to the pain but it felt so relieving to have it gone.

"What happened with your father?" I asked her as I set up our picnic.

She didn't speak until she was sitting down. "I'm grounded. I can't go out of the compound besides the weekends again. Even convincing my dad to let me leave during the weekends were hard. But he had promised me that he'd not get in the way of me trying to be a ninja. Weather he likes it or not I'm going to be her training every weekend."

I pushed down my anger as she carried on. "My sentence would have been lighter if he'd let me explain. Otou-sama would have listened to Yamato, but he was called away on a very urgent mission." Sakura sighed and I saw her eyebrows furrowed. "He's usually more reasonable with my sisters, if Hinata or even Hanabi were to do something like this he would be proud. He treats me as if _I'm_ the baby."

"Your a very skilled ninja." I told her. "But you are also his daughter. He is simply worried."

Sakura smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, he's probably worried." Her expression then turned stern. "Now eat up, we'll be training harder for all the training time we'll miss in the week."

* * *

It was hard to get use to having to spend the week without Sakura, it had already been a month and still Sakura was grounded. Often the dobe and stalker would ask about her, and now they crashed our training constantly, even Kakashi would show up. But maybe that was because of Sakura's home made Dango.

It was Saturday and Sakura was going to be at our training ground early. It was the first day that Sasukes team were busy and he could spend the day alone with Sakura. We had already finished our mission and we were dismissed, I walked off. As usual the stalker started to walk next to me.

"Are we going back to your house?" He asked, although he had said he would be busy he still asks. I rolled my eyes.

"Hn. Go away, I have better places to be." I replied, I headed in the opposite direction of My training ground, I needed to shake this stalker off.

"You mean your going to see Sakura?" I faltered in my step, just enough for him to catch up and he was now walking next to me. I did not, however, reply. "You sure seem to be whipped, pretty-boy."

I stopped walking and stared at the smiling boy. "What did you just call me?"

"Do you mean when I called you whipped or when I called you pretty-boy? I read that when you give a nickname to someone they form a closer bond. That is the reason I am closer to dickless and hag then I am to you."

"_Never_ call me that." I growled out before walking off again, faster this time.

"Would you prefer I call you part-time-emo?" He said trying to run after me. I used a substitution jutsu and to get away from him and ran off. I lost him quickly.

I shook my head, I really wished Sakura was in team seven. But as I ran to my training ground I realized it didn't matter if she wasn't on the ninja roster, she was still team seven.

* * *

**Okay, I'd like to say a big happy birthday to Sasuke. Also I'll update as soon as I can. R&R.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Saying I owned Naruto would be a lie. And a great fiction writer like me never lies. Ever.**

* * *

I was getting more and more frustrated with my team. They were loud, obnoxious, weird and just plain idiotic. But at least Sai had stopped following me home all the time, he now realized that he couldn't follow me and instead just tried to be my friend by calling me Sakura's bitch or pretty boy. personally I hated both And forced myself to ignore him. Naruto had been worse though, he often crashed my time with Sakura, she had even started to make a bento for him when ever we had lunch. Nothing would get him to leave, not my glaring, not my subtle threats, and my not so subtle threats only got Sakura to say, "Sasuke, Naruto-san is your friend. Don't be so mean."

"Yeah Sasuke-teme, don't be mean." The hit Naruto got wasn't satisfying enough for me.

Naruto was unbearable during missions too, he tried to out do me at everything, failing and getting hurt each time. Me having to save him from getting himself killed which only made him angrier. I shook my head, that dobe would never learn.

So when Kakashi commented on our teamwork failing, it was an understatement. I scoffed when Naruto went off about it being my fault. The dobe didn't understand that it was his, trying to outdo me, I wasn't even trying and I was winning whatever game he thought we were playing. He wasn't good enough to match to my skills.

I walked off when we were dismissed, it was Tuesday and Sakura wasn't allowed out yet. It had been two months since the start of her punishment and Hiashi showed no sign of letting up. I was in a bad mood, so much so that even Sai backed off after only asking to come to my house once.

I was on my way to my training ground, beating the hell out of a post as I picture Hyuuga Haishi always seemed to cheer me a little. Or just make be hurt enough to ignore my burning rage. It wasn't fair, but then again when was life ever fair for me? I realized that in my desperation to get away from my teammates and the haze of my anger, I was heading the wrong way. I almost swore as I turned around and back tracked.

I extended my chakra senses to try and find my teammates, I didn't want to run into them. It didn't take long to find them but I also sence someone else with them. Three small signatures, kids, no threat, although one of them were frantically moving. A sign of extreme emotional distress, there was also two other chakras. Both large, ninja, but too low to be anything above chunin.

"HEY LET HIM GO." I heard the dobe's voice from here, I sighed. I'd have to save those two idiots now. I silently made my way to where I felt their chakra.

I sat in a tree, watching for a second before I acted. This guy was nothing more then some foreigner punk who thought that they were so powerful picking on children. They made me sick. What was worse was that he was wearing a cat suit and make up, my team was losing to these guys? I took great pleasure at seeing the cat boy's face when my stone hit him. He dropped the kid and clutched his hand. He looked stupidly at the stone on the ground, the one that just hit him.

His gaze traveled to me, I was leaning on the tree. "You ninja are a long way from home and a long way out of your league."

I analyzed the two ninja, one was obviously a wind ninjutsu user, the girl, I could tell this by her giant fan. From what I had gather, the male must have been a puppet user, that thing on his back and his uses of chakra strings make this obvious too.

"Pretty boy, have you changed your mind? Are we going back to your house?" Sai smiled his fake smile. I ignored him, as did everyone else.

"Great, another punk to piss me off." The cat said.

"Get lost." I said, to empathise my point I crushed the stone I'd been playing with, I opened my hand and let the dust fall.

"Oh, so cool!" I heard a squealing voice, for a second I was reminded of the girls at the academy. I ignored both them and Naruto and the kids argument.

Rule one, never take your eyes of a enemy, not if you can help it.

"Hey punk." the guy called. "Get down here." He took the thing off his back, it was most likely his puppet. "Your the kind of pesky snot I hate the most. All attitude and nothing to back it up."

"What?" The blonde said panicked. "Your going to use Karasu for this?" The guy glared at me.

"Kankuro. Back off." There was a gravelly voice that spoke. "Your an embarrassment to our village."

I was completely shocked, I didn't sense anyone near by, even now I could not sense another's chakra. I had gotten good at sensing chakra, really good, but this guy must have been on another level. He was on Sakura's level. She was the only one that he couldn't sense when she hid her chakra, although his teammates didn't know how and his sensei didn't have a need to ever hide his. He was silent too. I had not heard even his breathing, not even now, I even felt for a genjutsu. There was none. This guy was really good, maybe even jounin good. My eyes traveled to him, I didn't move though, just looked at him from the corner on my eyes. He was standing on a branch of the same tree as me, his feet stuck to the underside of the branch. He was short, but he still gave the impression of being taller, being better. I felt the overwhelming want to fight this boy. To test my skills against his, I wanted to us him as a stepping stone on my journey to become stronger.

"G-Gaara." I heard someone stutter out, though my focus was on this boy, who must have been Gaara, and I didn't know who said it.

"Have you forgotten the real reason we came here?" He was ignoring me, ignoring my team and the kids. His only focus was on the boy in the cat suit, Kankuro.

"I-I k-know. I-I mean, th-they challenged us. They started the whole thing really." He stuttered out quickly. "See, here's what happened-" he was interrupted by the red head again.

"Shut up." Kankuro stared to sweat as the boy narrowed his eyes. "Or I'll kill you."

This made the boy backtrack instantly before agreeing with the red head ninja.

Gaara turned to me next, "I'm sorry for any trouble he caused." One glance into his eyes and I knew that this boy was evil. He had a look in his empty jade eyes that radiated killing intent. It felt as if he had planned my death at least a hundred times in the two minutes I'd seen him. I didn't like the evil look in his eyes. I shuddered the thought of those eyes meeting Sakura's warm emerald eyes.

I did not reply to his words and, instead, watched wordlessly as he disappeared in a whirl of sand. I'd never seen a jutsu like that.

"Let's go, we didn't come here to play games." The other two quickly agreed. They turned and walked away.

"Wait." Sai called out but they did not stop until he called a second time.

"Yes?" It was the girl who spoke, she looked slightly irritated.

"I have read it is polite to invite guest inside to have tea. Would you like to come to pretty-boys house. I've never been either but I read that friends often sleep over at each others house and have pillow fights. Would you like to join us, Suna-nin?" I rolled my eyes.

"We're here for the chunin exams, not to have tea." She shook her head.

"What's that?" Naruto said scratching his head.

"Are you brainless as well as dickless? Pretty-boy, I don't think we should invite Naruto to tea, maybe we shouldn't invite the Suna-nin either. How about just you and me go to your house?" Again he was ignored.

"Well I've never heard of the chunin exams. Believe it."

"I _believe_," she stretched, "that you are an idiot, a totally clueless one at that."

"Hey boss." One of the kids said, "those are the exams that every gennin takes to become a chunin." I rolled my eyes, a kid was smarter than him, the dobe was so embarrassing.

"Oh yeah, I'm totally going to take those things."

The red head muttered something before turning around and walking off. The other two followed soon after.

I jumped down from the tree and spoke, I needed to know who this boy was.

"Hey you, identify yourself." I spoke loud enough for them to hear, yet I did not yell like the dobe often did.

The blonde girl stopped and turned around, she let out a hum and smiled. "You mean me?" She battered her eyelashes and placed a hand on her chest. She reminded me slightly of the academy girls, though at least she wasn't screaming in my ears. It was even more painful since his ears were so sensitive now.

"No. Him. The guy with the gourd on his back." I pointed to him. Sure, I knew his name was Gaara, the other boy had said as much, but I wanted confirmation, I also wanted his last name. It was nice to know a potential enemies name, it gave you the opportunity to learn more about them.

The two others looked perplexed, shortly meeting each others gaze before looking at their leaders back. He turned slowly, his sandals slapping against the dirt ground. How was I not able to hear those deafening steps before now?

"My name," he spoke quietly but his voice sounded loud in the silence that had fallen over the group. "Is Sabaku no Gaara. I am also curious as to who are you."

I felt the smirk when it graced my face, I was right, his name _was_ Gaara. "I am Uchiha Sasuke."

we stared at each other, sizing each other up, the only sound was the wind blowing.

"Hi there. Bet you want to know my name." Naruto interrupted, but before he could go on his usual rant about becoming Hokage, Gaara spoke.

"I could care less about who you are." With those final words the Suna-ninja left. My smirk widen slightly, thing were getting interesting around here.

* * *

We had been waiting for Kakashi for an three hours now. You would have thought that Naruto would have gotten use to the long, boring hours spent waiting. I internally shook my head as he went on about being sick of their sensei's lateness.

"I've read a book about the importance of punctuality. It was very interesting, maybe I could lend it to Scarecrow-sensei." I rolled my eyes at Sai's stupid nicknames, I looked away from the two. First thing in the morning and they were already driving me nuts.

I turned when I felt Kakashi's chakra signature flare, a second later he popped into being by a puff of smoke.

"Sorry I'm late I was lost on the path of life." The white haired man said.

Naruto then went off yelling again. "You lair!"

"I've never heard of this place. Is it close by the market, maybe I should pick up a map and go visit this path. Is it very difficult to navigate though. It must be if you get lost on it." Kakashi ignored Sai.

"I know this is sudden, but I've nominated you three for the chunnin exams." He said. "Here are you application forms."

"Application forms?"

"Your repeating me Naruto." Kakashi chimed. "It's voluntary, it is up to each of you. If you don't feel ready then, you can wait until next year." I got a sense that he wasn't telling us something but it was soon pushed aside when Naruto attacked Kakashi, declaring him the best as he tried to kiss the jounin.

Kakashi pushed him off and hand us each our forms, he gave us more instructions. "If you wish to enter the exams fill out this form, sign it and bring it to room 301 at the academy at three pm five days from now." With that said he left.

We all were too excited for the exams to realize that we had waited three hours and we had not trained at all. I couldn't wait for these exams, I hoped I'd get to fight that guy, Gaara. Winning against him would be another step closer to killing that man. I smirked, not even Naruto's disturbing giggles could pull it from my face. Sai seemed very quiet, but that mattered little, at least he wasn't asking to go to my house.

* * *

It was Saturday. I was waiting in my private training grounds for Sakura. Kakashi had informed us that we had to meet on monday for the exams. I couldn't wait to tell Sakura, I'd been waiting for so long, I had to fight my instinct to run straight to her and tell her. However, Sakura's restrictions were clear. Weekday access was forbidden. I would have ignored it and went to see her anyway, but Sakura valued her father and his rules, so I waited for the weekend.

I was training half-heartedly, I had only gotten a few scraps and bruses, for the first time nothing was cracked or broken. When Sakura walked onto the training ground at tweleve I was instantly by her side. I took her hand and lead her into the middle of the training ground. She giggled at my impatiance as I let go of her had and quickly set up the blanket. I lead her to the middle and helped her sit.

"What's got you in such a happy mood?" She smiled brightly at me letting out another little giggle.

"I've been entered into the chunin exams." I smiled slightly.

She grinned back, she threw herself into my arms, hugging me before pulling back and speaking. "That is amazing Sasuke. Soon your going to be a jounin at this rate, maybe even an ANBU."

I was pleased with her reaction.

"Oh, I've got good news too." Sakura said. My stomach dropped. Could this be it, could Sakura finally be becoming a ninja. That would be the only thing that could top this. I could imagine us going on missions together, becoming stronger together. Fighting side by side in, not only training, but in missions too. Hopefully we wouldn't have to fight ninja on Zabuza or Haku's level yet.

"My father said that my punishment will be over after next week. Your allowed back to to the compound then and I'm allowed out." She grinned again but I found my smile falling. It was good news, but not what I wanted to hear. But I smiled and said I was happy. We trained for the rest of the day and the next. We were working on my training because of my exams. Sakura healing me every time I got hurt. I really wish she was a ninja.

* * *

I was standing with the dobe, I was early and, surprisingly, so was Naruto. We were waiting on Sai, he was always on time, we had planned to meet at two thirty outside. I knew he wouldn't get here until then. When he did arrived, it was at two thirty on the dot. He was not smiling, he looked paler and he had a slight blackness under his eyes pointing to the fact that he had not slept very well, if at all.

"Ohayou Naruto, Sasuke." I was shocked for a second. He had not used any of his stupid nicknames. What was up with him.

"Hey freak. Let's hurry up and go in, I wanna hurry up and get this done, I'll be a chunin in no time. Believe it." Naruto, of course, didn't notice the oddities of our teammate.

I couldn't stand it and I found words out of my mouth before I could comprehend them. "Do you two want to come over to my house next weekend for dinner?" I kicked myself, I didn't even like Sai, I didn't know why I was trying to be nice to him, to make him feel better. But, I guess, we were still teammates and if something was wrong with Sai it would hinder our performance.

I saw shock in his eyes before he smiled, it was not his normal, fake, smile either, it was, for the first time I'd seen, a real smile. "Thank you pretty-boy, I'd love too." Again I kicked myself, why did I want him to go back to the way he was? He was an obnoxious little sh-

"Come on teme, freak. Let's go!" Naruto ran inside. I shook my head as he ran into the door, he'd tried to push it open. I walked over and took the handle of the door, ignoring the dobe who was sitting there rubbing his head that now sported a slight bump. I pulled the door open and walked inside, the others trailed after me.

I'd felt it in the stairway, Genjutsu. One that made it seem as if we'd traveled up three fights of stairs instead of two. I dispelled it, no one could be that foolish to fall for such a trap, not least ninjas, even if they were gennin. I knew I was wrong when I saw a crowd forming in front of the door that said 301. Becoming a chunin would be cherry tomatoes if these were my opponates.

"Let us through, we're headed to the third floor." I spoke, I knew that if I'd let Naruto or, kami frobid, Sai, to talk they would get into a fight or insult everyone here. Most likely both. "And while your at it drop the genjutsu."

Murmurings went through the crowd, "Genjutsu?" and "What is he talking about?" and "This kids crazy."

"You saw through our genjutsu huh?" The one of the left said taking down his jutsu.

"Please, even Sai saw through it, and he's the worst at genjutsu on our team." I said, and it was true, Sai knew this wasn't the third floor, I had, after all, dispelled the genjutsu in the stairway.

"Your right pretty boy, this is only the second floor." Sai smiled.

"Right." Naruto nodded, I almost rolled my eyes, he probably didn't even kow what we were talking about. I had heard him muttering about victory ramen a few seconds ago.

"I'm surprised you saw that, but did you see this?" And with that he swung, getting ready to kick me, I did the same, if I'd put enough force into my kick I should be able to take him off enough to unbalance him and drop him to the ground. From there it would only be three simple steps until both he, and his friend, were unconscious. For a brief second I gave thought to their third member. Every one here was grouped into threes, their squads, but there were only two people standing in front of the doors. My musings were cut short when there was a blur of green and a my kick was block. I was stunned, completely so, there was a ninja standing in the middle of the two of us and he was blocking each kick. What amazing chakra ability he must have, to be able to block my kick and also be able to hide his chakra so well. It was even better then Sakura's, at least with Sakura I could feel he chakra while I was touching her. With this guy, if I had not seen his moves in action, I'd think he was a civilian.

The two boys managed to sneak away, out of the hallway and away from the crowd. My eyes were sizing up the green ninja. He walked over to his team. A girl with buns and a boy with long hair. I narrowed my eyes, I knew that arrogant posture and those glaring eyes.

The team walked over to mine, Hyuuga Neji leading them. They stopped in front of me and my team.

"Uchiha." Neji greeted.

"Hyuuga." I replied.

"Haven't seen you around the compound lately. Haven't broken up with my cousin have you?" Neji was smirking, he must have known the reason I was no longer a constant presence in the Hyuuga compound anymore.

"Who's this guy teme? You're not cheating on Sakura-chan are you? Cause if you are I'll beat you up and she can be my girlfriend." He giggle in a perverted way at the end. Both Neji and I shot a glare at him.

"Of course Sakura's bitch wouldn't be cheating on her." Sai said smiling. "Grow a brain dickless."

I ignored my idiotic teammates and turned back to the long haired Hyuuga.

"Why so protective Hyuuga? I would think you'd be happy that Sakura's safe and not dead. Or did you conveniently forget that I was the one who protected her from those missing-nin." I glared coldly, it wasn't true, I'd fought one, and sadly lost, but at least I'd fought to protect her.

"She wouldn't have even been there if it had not been for you." His cold eye burned hot as he glared at me.

"Whatever, she's not a child, she's her own person, it was her choice to stay." I said.

He huffed silently. "Uchiha." He said ending our conversation.

"Hyuuga." I smirked at him walking away, I'd won this time.

* * *

I stared at the boy from my position on the ground. How had I lost to this freak. He was an...idiot. I didn't know how it was even possible. I understood how the dobe got taken down so fast, he was the worst ninja ever. But to have taken me down. This boy may have been an idiot, a werido and a freak, but he was strong and fast.

He was also talking to a turtle. The dobe was going on about how the turtle was his sensei, all I could think was I was taken down by a complete loser. The meeting with the boy, Rock Lee, he had said his name was, and his real sensei passed in a blur after that.

Still I couldn't believe how badly I had lost. I clenched my fist as he told me I was practice, that I was only a stepping stone he stepped on to get to his real goal. It infuriated me and I vowed that when I fought that boy again, he would lose. He'd pay, I'd have vengeance. And it didn't have anything to do with the big eyebrow boy declaring him my raival in the race to win Sakura's love. How the freak knew her, I had no idea. But that wasn't the point. Rock Lee would pay because Uchiha Sasuke was an avenger.

* * *

Sasuke walked into the room with his teammates, his mood was lifted after the little talk they'd had with their sensei. he cheerful mood vanished when he saw the room of gennin. They were all older, some were twice his age and double his height.

"Sasuke-kun!" I cringed as I heard the high pitched voice, soon I felt the weight of someone on my back. I glared at the ground.

"Oh Sasuke-kun. I missed your brooding good looks. I bet you missed me too." She was hugging my head and stroking me as if I was a cat.

"I don't think you noticed, but you seem to have a hooker on top of you. You better get rid of it before your girlfriend sees. I've read that girls don't like to see their boyfriends with whores." Sai smiled, pointing to the blonde that was on my back.

"Your such an idiot Sai. Sakura can't see anything, 'sides she's not here." The dobe shook his head ironically.

"You have a girlfriend Sasuke-kun. I can't believe that. I'm the prettiest, nicest, most-" She cut herself off, before dropping off of me and stepping closer to Sai.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I'M NOT A HOOKER OR A WHORE! I'M A LADY." She screamed.

"Yes." Sai nodded, smiling not at all phased by her screaming. "A lady of the night."

She was stopped from screaming, I mean, she was stopped from replying, when her teammates came over.

"Oh. It's you guys." The lazy drawl came from the side. " I knew this was going to be troublesome but I didn't think it would be this lame." He sighed as the boy next to him carried on munching on his chips.

"So you three baka's are here." Naruto, again ironically, said.

"Hey you know what pipsqueak ah forget it. Threathening is too troublesome." Shikamaru slummed back into a hunch.

"I don't care what you say. Sasuke-kun is mine. If he has a girlfriend, it's me." She pokes her tongue out to Sai.

"Well, well. What do you know. It looks like the whole gangs back together again." Another voice commented.

I turned to see Hinata and her team.

"H-Hello N-Naruto-kun." Hinata stuttered out. "Sasuke-san." She added politely.

"Hinata-san." I replied.

She shyly stepped forward and reached out, handing me a scroll. It was familiar. "Nee-chan asked me to give you this. She wishes you luck."

I took it, almost smiling but thought better of it. "Aa." I said, placing it in one of my weapon pouches.

"Why is your little sister giving Sasuke-kun gifts." Ino screeched. We all flinched.

"W-well, Hanabi-chan d-did-n't, m-my older sis-ter d-did." She ran then, hiding behind her teammates.

"Sasuke-teme. Are you cheating on Sakura-chan with Hinata's older sister?" Naruto pointed at ke accusingly.

I sighed. "Dobe, Sakura is Hinata's older sister."

I ignored them after that. All their yelling was giving me a head ache. So I ignored them all, Naruto idiotic comments, Ino's whining denial, Sai's insults and everyone else. I didn't start paying attention again until a new voice entered the noise.

"Wow guys, your drawing a lot of attention to yourselves. You better be quiet." The man, Kabuto, went on. The most interesting thing about him was his ninja cards. I gleaned a little information on both Gaara and Lee, before Kabuto was attacked. Those sound ninja looked dangerous too. But before I could figure out their jutsu trick, the proctor for the first exam arrived along with some other ninja.

"It's time to begin." the scarred man in front smirked. "I'm Morino Ibiki and I'm the proctor for the first part of the chunin exams."

* * *

**I meant to make it longer but oh well. This chapter goes to Griffindork93 you win this one. But next one...okay so you'll probably win that one too, but the one after that...all mine. Going to work of 'Taking Bloodlines.' Love me. **

**R&R.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I DO ****_*whispers not* _****OWN NARUTO.**

* * *

I looked down at my test. This was impossible. I knew, vaguely, what the first question was saying, the others I didn't even understand. I was stumped. How was I going to answer these? I couldn't, I didn't even know what they were asking, how could I answer correctly. I sat up. I couldn't even begin to understand these problems. though, what was worst was the feeling of eyes on me, the eyes of chunin and jounin alike. At first I was thinking of ways to help Naruto out, but, I realized, I was the one that needed help first.

Think Sasuke, I told myself. There had to be a way. Cheat. A little voice in my head said. Of course I couldn't the proctor said not to, if I was caught I'd lose two points...wait, why only two points? In most test if you were caught cheating that was an automatic fail, why give us chances. If fact it sounded almost as if they expected us to cheat, dared us even. I looked back to the impossible test in front of me, yeah, they expected it. So the real test was to cheat, I wonder if the others figured it out. I scanned the other ninja in the room, I found Sai first.

He had definitely figured out the test, I saw him using a jutsu to lift writing of a ninja's paper. It turned into a rat that scurried towards him and onto his paper, becoming one with the paper and laying back down as the answers. I saw the man, who's answers just walked off his paper start again. The man must have been really smart, he was writing all the answers again at near lightning speed. If I ever thought of a plan, I was going to copy him.

..Copy him. The Sharingan! It analyzed and copied jutsu and hand signs, all I would have to do was copy his movements. But, I almost sighed in disappointment, he had already finished. I perked up slightly when, again, the ink on his paper rose and turned into a small rat. I watched it run off the table, instead of going to Sai, I saw the ink animal ran somewhere else. I followed it, it ran to the front of the room and up a desk, up Naruto's desk. Sai may have been a stalker, but he was also a genius.

"Ahh."

_Bang. _

_Splat._

And Naruto was a idiot. He had just crushed the answers to the test. People looked to him for a second before going back to their tests. I sighed, Sai could do it once more but it would be harder, and even if he invaded the eyes of the chunin there was the face that the moron could just crush them again. Sai would have enough trouble getting answers to Naruto, I needed to get the answers myself. I looked back to the guy that wrote the answers. It seemed as if he finally realized that his answers were gone again and was writing them again. I quickly active my Sharingan and started to copy the movement of his hands, stealing his answers.

I sat back when I had finished writing, there was nothing to worry about for now.

* * *

If I had thought that the first task was hard, even more so with the surprise tenth question, the second was promising to be harder. We hasn't even been told it yet but I knew that it would be bad because the second proctor was insane. She had a grin that promised both pleasure and pain, pain for you, pleasure for her. She was a sadist and it surprised me that Konoha, a village said to be the softest of the hidden villages, had a ninja like her. Or like the first proctor for that matter, for a second I wondered about the third proctor.

the test seemed pretty straight forward, get both scrolls, get to the tower and don't get killed in between. We did have a slight run in with the dobe, he was causing trouble again, bad mouthing our proctor and got a cut on his check. i was sure that if he had not been a Konoha shnobi he would have got more them that slight scratch. With a sadistic grin she sent us off to our gates.

"I can't believe that I smashed the test answers." Naruto muttered to himself before turning on Sai. "Why wasn't your rat stronger. It usually takes more then a punch to kill your ink-things." The dobe growled out, point a finger at Sai.

Sai just smiled in return. "It's because that ink wasn't the chakra laced ink I use in battle, also I had to do it without touching the ink, dickless."

Naruto huffed but, before he could go off again about Sai calling him dickless again, I interrupted.

"We need a plan." I said, making both boys turn to me. "I was thinking, we could use Sai's jutsu to scout. Maybe if we find a team that's careless enough one of Sai's ink snakes could get to their scroll. If not, we'll still know where the teams are and we could trap them." I turned to Sai then. "Can you do that?"

Sai nodded, smiling of course. "I can but it would take all my concentration, if it came to a fight, I'd be useless."

"Do it." I said before hesitating and continuing. "We'll protect you."

"Yeah freak, we'll protect you." Naruto nodded, grinning.

Sai stopped smiling and looked at both of us, a small upturn of his lips expressed more happiness then his past, fake, smiles had. I also caught a slight gleam in his eyes that was gone before I identified it.

"Okay, we'll travel a few miles then find a place to stop. Maybe a cave or a hollow tree." I said and they nodded. with or plan set, we waited for the gates to open.

* * *

Things were not going good. The plan had not even been put into action and already things were going wrong. First of all was the Naruto imposter.

We had not been traveling that long when Naruto stopped, loudly exclaiming that he needed to, 'take a piss', and starting to unzip his fly. I turned, this was something I did not want to see.

"I don't mind, I always wondered how you pee with out a dick, dickless." Sai said stepping closer to Naruto, eyes trained on the front of his pants.

Naruto stopped and looked at Sai, who looked at Naruto's crotch.

"I think I'll pee behind a bush." Naruto said redoing his fly and walking away. "Alone." He added as Sai went to follow, Sai stopped.

When Naruto was gone Sai turned to me, he looked uncertain. "Whatever happens...I'll protect you." There was a fire that flickered into his eyes, one I'd seen before. In Sakura when she talked about one day becoming a ninja. In Kakashi when he talked about protecting his teammates. In Naruto when he had told Zabuza he would become Hokage. It was in me too, when I thought of avenging my clan, I could feel it burning in my eyes those times. It was what most, if not all, Konoha ninja's eyes. Sai had the will of fire.

I didn't know what he was talking about, he wasn't making sense. My first instinct was to brush him off, but there was something else in his eyes, something pleading to me not to. So instead I nodded.

I was saved when Naruto came back. I narrowed my eyes, this guy was not Naruto. It wasn't that he looked different, or the words he said were strange. It was that walk, more confident, less clumsy, his foot steps were sure, trained. It was also in his smile, he was wearing Sai's smile, a fake one, not the normal, easy, grin that was often plastered on his face. But the biggest sign was his chakra, instead of the, seemingly, never ending warmth, there was a cold, icy, chakra. It wasn't supressed and I also felt how much he had, there was more then I had, but at least I had Sai. Together, we could beat him, I punched him right in the face.

"Sasuke?" Sai said startled, he must not have known that this was not Naruto.

"This is not Naruto." I said simply, readying myself for a fight.

"That cold smile was still there, reminding me so much of Sai when we had first met. I realized, looking at this Naruto impostures face, that Sai's smile was so much colder and faker. I didn't like that smile, not on Sai and not on Naruto.

The imposture released his hedge and I saw his face. He was pale, as if he had never seen sun. He reminded me so much of Sai, but it was not his appearance or even their style. In fact standing the two boys next to each other, most would say you could not find two boys more different in looks. The only thing that they shared was their pale complexions. The boy was broad across him chest and had very large arms. He was short, shorter than Naruto even, and had short, skinny and stumpy legs. They made him look slightly out of proportion, nothing like Sai's tall, lean frame. He wore a green shirt and brown ninja pants, the clothes were plain, used as simple tools of blending into his surroundings or the forest. He wore standard weapon gear, along with a short sword on his back and a Konoha protector on his forehead. And even their facial features were worlds different. Sai's face was thin and held prominent, sharp features. This boy's face was almost completely square, his face was thick with, at first glance, baby fat, but on closer inspection his face was all muscle. Then there was his nose, which was at least twice as large as Sai's, his lips were thin and an off cream colour. And lastly was his exotic crystal blue eyes, they were round, probably the only round feature he had, and not very large. They set off his large features and make him pass for handsome.

But his appearance was not what made Sasuke think they were alike, it was their attitude, how they walked and talked, how they acted. It was scary similar to how Sai was when he was first put on team seven. It was that smile, the fake, cold and disturbing, smile. But most of all, it was their eyes. Those eyes that made it seem as if there was nothing inside them, no emotions, no mind and no soul. I hated those eyes on Sai, I hated them on this boy when he was Naruto and I hated. Them on this boy's real face too. I'd seen those eyes on _that man_.

"I should have known that a ninja of your breeding wouldn't fall for a simple trick like that. No matter." He smiled at me. "You are outnumbered."

discreetly, I searched for any close chakra signatures. There was none, one this boy's chakra, Sai's and, of course, my own.

"Outnumbered?" I questioned.

"Shinobi 94, codename Sai." The boy nodded to my teammate who nodded in return.

"Shinobi 56, codename Dai." Sai replied.

Realization hit me, these two were working together, they knew each other. It this man was not here for the chunin exams then what was he here for? This could only mean one thing, Sai was a spy.

"Mission." The boy, Dai, said.

"Shinobi 94 batch C was assigned to infiltrate a genin team with the Jinchuriki and last Uchiha. Find out if the Uchiha has the Sharingan, if so capture the Uchiha's eyes. Do not kill Jinchuriki unless instructed to." Sai replied in a monotone voice.

"Mission statues."

"Both seem to trust me, the Uchiha has invited me over for dinner next week. I had planned to start there." Sai said.

"Stand down 94, the mission has been changed. We must not waste time, Danzo-sama wants those eyes." Dai stated. "He has sent me as back up. Danzo-sama caught word of a high ranking ninja here for the Uchiha too, he wants those eyes before the missing-ninja reaches them."

So that was it, this, 'Danzo', wanted my Sharingan eyes, enough to kill me? They would have to kill me, there was a chance I'd tell someone about this Danzo who had stolen one of the only Sharingan left in the world. Yes, my Sharingan was undeveloped, but still, the Sharingan was a dying doujutsu, there was only two people in the world who had it, one had no interest in passing it on, and the other was too young to.

Without another word, the fight started.

Sai fell back, he was mostly a long rang fighter, he stood no chance against me on a close range fight. The other boy, Dai, on the other hand, rushed forward.

_Short ranged fighter._ Was all I was able to think before I stopped thinking beyond blocking the next hit and throwing the next punch. Looking at the size of Dai you would think that he would strike slow but hard, this was not the case. Dai did, if fact, strike hard, if it was not for the chakra pulsing through him, Sasuke was sure that he would have broken at least both arms and his left leg. But his heavy hitting was to be expected, it was his speed that was worrying, he was fast, almost as fast as Sasuke himself. While fighting him Sasuke did not have any time to think of a plan, because what attention that was not on Dai, was on Sai, sitting down drawing.

Sai had been drawing for five minutes now, I was frightened to see what he would create. His ability to create ink beasts in seconds was amazing, but given five minutes or ten. He could create a whole army, an army of hundreds. I needed to stop him.

"Sasuke, Sai." I heard Naruto scream as he ran into the battle.

"Naruto." I yelled, getting ready to warn him, Sai was not on our side. But Dai distracted me with a punch aimed at my face, I managed to block it in time. Then I heard the worse thing possible.

"How much longer do you need Sai? I'll make sure he doesn't slip past teme and you can-"Naruto never got to finish, because as soon as he turned his back to Sai, Sai had used one of his snakes to tie Naruto up.

No I thought, Naruto. Dai got a lucky hit and sent me flying back, I'd hit my head on the tree and willed myself not to black out, if I did they would kill me. By sheer willpower I did not black out. But I was dizzy enough to stay laying down.

"You know Danzo has his suspicions about you turning on him, it was also my mission to make sure your loyalties were still with Root. I'll send Danzo a message say that your on his side still, and that we have secured the Uchiha. Tie him up will you." I hear Dai saying.

I felt Sai's ink wrap around me, I was much too disoriented to do anything. I almost swore, there was nothing I could do now...except, maybe there was something that I could do.

I knew medical ninjutsu, it was only a little and I could only ever use it to heal slight cuts, everything bigger was done by Sakura. But I knew the theory behind the bigger stuff too. Things like healing concussions, mine wasn't a major one, it was still pretty big though. I had never tried and I would have to do it without hand signs, something that was needed for most injury close to the brain, and with out my hands all together. I'd have to send healing chakra straight to the source, something extremely difficult, and do all of this while feeling the effects of the concussion. If I did it wrong, sent the wrong amount or the chakra I sent was not healing chakra...there had been a multiple amount of warnings on how much of a bad idea this was. If I failed, I died, and if I sat around doing nothing I would die anyway.

With that I took a deep breath then started to gather up my healing chakra to my hands. When my I had gathered enough chakra I sent the healing chakra up my arm, through my neck and towards the wound in my head. I closed my eyes and used my chakra to see. my brain was fine, I could tell that much and I almost gave a sigh. There was a slight crack in my skull, that would be difficult to fix, I'd never done anything will bones. Then there was the bleeding, it was on a larger scale then I was use to, but I was sure I could do it. But that gave me another worry, my chakra.

Every time I had healed those, little, wounds I got, I felt tired afterwards, the small healing drained me. It was not the fact that I did not have enough chakra, it was simply that my chakra wasn't meant to heal, it was in the first medical book Sakura had given me. 'Theory of Medical Ninjutsu. A Science and magic.' It was a horrible titled book that was, also, a wealth of knowledge, and it was in the first chapter it explained chakra. Chakra was a living thing, something that was like us, like a arm or a leg, a part of us and alive. We, just like an arm or a leg, could control it but chakra was more then that. Chakra was also like the person who owned it. Some people were not fit to heal, instead their strength laid in combat, and that was how chakra was too. Some chakra were not fit to heal, instead their chakra molded in a way perfect for offence jutsu.

My chakra was not really fit for healing. It was why I had such a hard time healing, my chakra was darker, something I knew, it was laced with hate for _that man_. I wanted, with all my being, as I trained, to kill him, so my chakra grew dark. It was born out of my need to avenge my clan. That was why my attacks were so strong, but I didn't ever have a need to heal, not even myself at most time, and even if I did. Healing wasn't based on hate, hate killed and love healed. That was why Sakura was so good at healing, she loved everyone, friends and strangers alike. There was not a single soul I had met that she had not taken a liking to. Clotting the blood was that first thing I did, it was easy, even though it was a much larger wound, I had done this before, even if it had been with ly hands. Now I had to start of with the crack, this one would be harder, I gently probed it with my chakra, a mistake, I found as I felt the crack get larger and my head throbbed in pain. Again I felt as if I would pass out, I fought the dizziness off and eventually it dispelled.

_Okay,_ I thought, _that wont work. _

I couldn't heal bone like skin, it wasn't like stitching the skin back together, it was much harder. I couldn't make it seem like a small needle was threading the skin back together. I thought for a second, the books and scrolls I read on healing bones were mostly theory, it said that most people heal in the same way but some, rare as it was, healed differently. I, for the life of me, just could not follow the guide the book gave, something that was frustrating to me. The book was written for someone who had chakra compatible with that of a healers, chakra that instinctively healed someone, I did not have that kind of chakra, mine's first instinct was to attack. That is what it did when the needle technique didn't work, it attacked the bone.

Maybe a patch would work though. I though, I could use my chakra as a temporary patch. Like the tire on a bike, it would be useless to use a needle to patch it together, it would only make matters worse, but a patch worked. It also was the least likely plan to backfire.

_Yes, _I decided, _I'd do that._

So with another big breath I got to work, I made a chakra patch out of my healing chakra, holding my breath as I placed it on top, thankfully, the crack did not get worse. In fact, slowly the healing chakra was making it better, the sides were knitting together and my headache was ebbing slightly. I felt drained though, before, the thing stopping me from doing anything was my concussion, now it was pure chakra exhaustion.

"Danzo-sama's reply returned, he said that you may have the honor of killing the Uchiha and taking him eyes. After all, this mission was your's from the start."

_No,_ I cursed inside my head, _I was out of time. _

But I refused to give up, I pushed the exhaustion away and opened my eyes. Though we were under the canopy, it was too bright for my eyes. It took me a few seconds to adjust to the light. I was about to start to get up when I heard a scream.

"SAI!" I looked over, as did Sai and Dai, Naruto had _eaten_ the part of the ink snake that was over his mouth and could now talk again. "What are you doing? You can't kill Sasuke, sure he's a bastard, but he's our teammate."

"You go finish your mission Sai-san. I'll deal with him, Danzo-sama said that he'd have to be taken care of too, he's seen too much." Dai said as he turned his back of Sai to advance on Naruto.

As soon as Dai had his back to Sai, Sai raised his hand and took the sword from Dai's back holster and in a quick movement sliced off both his arms, one at the shoulder and the other right through his elbow, Dai had turned around enough to save his other shoulder but the swords caught his elbow. Still, Dai smiled, it was as if he could do nothing else, he did not seem upset or betrayed, not even like he was in pain. He just stood there for a second and it was Sai that made the next move too.

"Sorry Dai-san." Said Sai the words coldly, saying through his expression and tone that he was any but sorry. "But you must die." And with that Sai drove Dai's own sword straight into his heart.

As the ink bindings melted away and both Naruto and I were free, I remembered Sai's words, _"whatever happens...I'll protect you." _Sai must have known something like this would happen. So why had he not told me anything, why keep it secret. I had so many questions but it was Naruto that spoke first.

"Sai...did you just make a joke?" And with that, the barely visible tension that was in Sai shoulders melted away and I thought better than to ask my questions so instead I got up and nodded to him.

We were okay, my nod said, we were still a team.

And that would always be true.

* * *

After the fight with Dai I thought that it would only be easier. It was not like me to forget the little bit of information that Dai had let slip about the missing-nin. As it so happens, I did not remember until I was fighting said missing-nin. I had forgotten through the wind storm, through the second Naruto imposter, through the genjutsu and through my little freak out. I had not snapped out of said freak out until Sai had made some stupid comment,_ "If Naruto has no dick, you must have a vagina because your being a pussy right now."_ As idiotic as it was, it did snap me out of it.

But I remembered nothing of what Dai said until the ninja survived being tied to a tree and burnt. It was when he stepped out of the flames, his face flopping off, I remembered, and it was too late. And when he stretched his, abnormally long, neck, I did really know what to think, I don't think I even had time to _think_ anything. But I never expected him to bite me.

He then pulled back and told be that If I wanted power I should join him. Orochimaru. That was his name. and when he was gone, the pain consumed me and I knew no more.

* * *

I didn't know how long I relived it, how long it went over and over in my head. Them dying by _him_, _that man_ killing them and me being useless, worse than useless. I was afraid and confused. It went from that to a painful, lonely darkness and back again. I felt like I should die, that would be good, to just die, not having to worry about the pain, the nightmares. But I couldn't do that, I realized, I couldn't stay here in this pain fulled word. If I didn't moved, didn't escape, I would never _kill him_, never avenge my clan, never be free. I needed more though, more power, I couldn't beat him then, not even now, I was just too weak. But with more power I could crush him, crush anyone.

_If only I had more power._

The words echoed in my head. _If only I had more power, if only, if only...if only._

And then I did have power, I had so much, I could feel the chakra, the powerful chakra that overflowed my body, it was now thick in the air around me, I was sure even Naruto, who was clueless to everything that he couldn't see, would be able to feel it too.

So with that I stood up and looked around with new eyes. I felt so strong, so unstoppable, I felt as if I could, and would, beat anyone. And then I saw Sai, my teammate who I swore to protect, some who, despite all my efforts to push away, had become my friend, had become someone special to me. So seeing him hurt made me want to avenge him, I wanted to hurt someone, to use this power, test it out.

"Who did this to you Sai?" I found myself asking. And when the cocky boy had said it was him. I couldn't keep the wicked smile off my face when I had broken his arms. Those arms that he was going to use on my teammates and I. And then I turned to the last one standing, my thirst for blood, for revenge had not been sedated and I needed more.

"Now it's your turn." I told the ninja as I advanced on him.

Vaguely, I heard a voice, Sai I think, screaming at me but I ignored it, walking closer to the last man, but Sai's voice broke through my haze. "Sasuke, what would Sakura think."

At first I thought, 'who was Sakura?' But my mind was quick to conjure her up. With that I felt as if Sakura was here, standing behind me and holding me back from carrying on. I was sure I heard her voice, just a whisper, in my ear. "Please Sasuke. Stop this. No more." And I felt the mark fade, it receded and I realized just how much it had grown. I dropped to the ground, it felt as if I was a puppet and all my strings were suddenly cut. So with nothing to hold me up, I was weakened.

It didn't really register what the enemy said right now, I was too busy reflecting on what happened. What I had done to that shinobi, it was sick, I had dislocated both arms. And worse I had enjoyed it.

"What am I?" I found myself asking out loud.

_A monster._ The answer was supplied to readily by my mind. Like looking up and asking what colour the sky was, you knew already it was blue. Did I always know I was a monster? Was I always one? I didn't know.

Right now everything was uncertain to me, and it scared me slightly.

* * *

**This chapter was longer, and had more context, but my smashpad (I dropped my ipad and now its got cracks running through it.) glitched out and have the chapter was not saved. I hate rewriting so I just didn't rewrite it, but everything that I didn't write was just cannon anyway so. Yeah.**

**R&R.**

**Then ForF. (Fav or Follow.)**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Hn. Don't own it.**

**Okay, this chapter will be in Kakashi's POV because of Griffindork93. She challenged me to do this and I will not back down from a challenge, not from my Eternal Rival!**

* * *

I was leading Sasuke into a room that had been pre-prepared just for this. I was going to put a seal on Sasuke to contain his curse mark, but that was not the only thing I was tasked with. There was another seal that I was told, ordered, to put on my student, a memory seal.

Sasuke had learnt things in the forest that were S-ranked secrets, things that he should not know. Kakashi, as his sensei, had to put the seal on him. He had to betray the trust of one of his students, and, dare he say, his favourite one.

It was just that Sasuke reminded him so much of himself, lost in grief and all alone, best friend to a dead last idiot with a big heart. Sasuke also looked slightly like Obito, not too strange, Obito, too, was a Uchiha and Uchiha tend to look very similar...tended.

Kakashi shook off his sadness and carried on walking, this was needed to protect the village. Whatever it was that Sasuke had learnt was something that the council did not want to reach the public ears.

But it smelt fishy though, really fishy. So before Kakashi wiped the memory of the last Uchiha, he would find out what happened.

Finally they reached the room that the Hokage had prepared for them. It was plain, large and dark, the room also felt slightly ominous and he could see a small chill go up Sasuke's back as he entered. It was colder in this room too.

I walked in and sarted to draw the symbols on the ground, this would be the perfect time to ask.

"Sasuke, tell me everything that happened in the forest." I said, I winced slightly, it sounded to demanding and I knew it would not bode well with the dark-haired boy.

He started his recollection, from the plan he had made, he briefly stopped after he said that Naruto went to pee, but then carried on, telling me about some imposter that he easily saw through. He told me it was some weird looking guy from the hidden rain village.

I tilted me head, he was lying, it was easy to pick up the signs, even without the Sharingan. He may have been good at hiding his telling signs, but I was better at picking up the subtle things most overlooked. The catch in his breath that was different to the catches that happened when a new wave of pain washed over him. How he either made too much eye contact or not enough. How he rubbed his neck, where his curse seal was, more often then when he was telling my about his plan.

Sasuke was lying and I needed to know why. The only thing was that Sasuke was stubborn, he wouldn't tell me anything more.

I sighed as Sasuke finished his story, not lying about anything else, not even when he told me that he'd broken the sound-nin's arms. So what ever I had to erase, had to do with that first imposter.

I nodded and finished the symbols.

"Sit here." I told Sasuke. "And take off your shirt."

He did as I told him and I drew symbols on his body, it didn't take long and soon I stood up. I went around and kneeled in front of him and lifted my hitai-ate, revealing my Sharingan.

Sasuke looked weary at the sight of it but I quickly eased him.

"I'm just going to use it to take away the pain." I told him, I wasn't really lying, I would use it to take away the pain, but I was going to take away much more then that. He would feel the pain but I would take away the memory of his suffering, essentially, taking away his pain.

Sasuke took a big breath as I started to do hand signs, I simultaneously started to funnel chakra to my Sharingan. As soon as the last hand seal was done Sasuke began to scream, but not before sparing me a look of utter betrayal. I would have faltered if I had not prepared myself for this.

Instead, I carried on, starting a new set of hand signs, my Sharingan was spinning and I finished my last hand sign just as Sasuke looked up at me. It was then that I entered Sasuke's mind.

Sasuke's mind was a dark place, really dark but there was a slight light on the walls. The walls were tinged red, and it felt as if he was in a dark room that's walls were painted red with blood. I shuttered, to think that this was the mind of his student, I couldn't even find myself here, let alone the memory of what happen in the forest.

My head whipped around, I swore that I could hear echos of screams all around, though I couldn't tell where the scream was coming from, it was as if they were moving.

I couldn't believe that Sasuke's mind was like this, how tortured he must feel. If Sasuke's mind was this bad, this dark, I feared that there was no saving Sasuke. If this was all that was in his mind constantly...Sasuke was lost in the darkness already.

I had to find a way to get to his memories, I had to find this forest of death memory and change it. Then I would leave this horrible wasteland that was Sasuke's mind and, once out, I was going to have Sasuke committed, I would get him the help he needs. Briefly, I cursed the man that had made Sasuke this way.

Warmth. I felt warmth and it broke be away from my thoughts of Sasuke's broken psych. I looked around and a saw a light, it was small and far away. Hope blossomed inside my chest, maybe Sasuke was not as lost in the darkness as I had thought. Maybe I had just ended up in the little, dark corner that was inside everyone's mind. It stood to reason that Sasuke's would be darker then most, with all he had witnessed.

I started to follow it, I walked towards it and it was getting bigger. As I neared it the echoing screams seen to retreat, fading from deafening roars to background noise to a slight buzz. And, when I was so close to the light that I could touch it, all sound disappeared and the light, now the size of a kick ball, exploded.

Everything was quiet for a moment as the light spread like a bomb, hitting everything close to it and destroying the dark. The light easily cut through the darkness, even getting brighter as it grew. So bright, in fact, that I had to shield my eyes for a second.

When I did open them again, I found myself standing in a clearing, the sun was high in the sky, and it was a wonderful day. I took in my surroundings and, instantly, I recognise were I was. I was in Sasuke's private training grounds, I had been here a few times and, right now, it seemed less used.

"Hn." I startled at the sound of a voice, I looked over and was Sasuke who was standing in front of Sakura.

They both looked younger, only slightly though, maybe a year or two younger. The younger Sasuke looked like he was giving the younger Sakura directions. I shook my head smiling slightly.

I watched the memory, because that was what I was sure this was, play out. Soon, though, I felt as if I was intruding and I wished I could just see what happened in the forest.

It was as if I had magically casted a spell because, suddenly, everything started to move faster, as if someone had pushed a fast-forward button. It was moving so fast now that Kakashi didn't know what was even going on, until suddenly it stopped.

I was standing in a forest, but it didn't seem right either, this forest seemed too much like the forest near mist or just outside snow. The trees there grew shorter then the tall, wild, vine-like trees in training ground 44. Neither was it any forest near Konoha, Kakashi knew those trees, they were tall and straight, the only branches were, very, high up. Besides, the forest of death had taller, larger trees that had giant roots that an elephant could fit in.

"On the day I turned five..." I turned at the sound of the voice.

I saw Sasuke and Sakura sitting on a tree stump, Sasuke was telling her about his Uchiha symbol. Strangely, this was the most I had heard my student talk, I stood in wonder at how the boy seemed so much different to the one that brooded about everything. This boy looked free, as if he was just some regular teenage boy who was sitting down with a girl he liked.

This looked recent too, it must have been during the mission to wave, I was sure that, even if Sasuke had been to anywhere near snow country, Sakura had not. I remember Yamato saying that Sakura had never left the village before, no, he said Sakura barely left the Hyuuga compound.

I found myself turning away soon, they were kissing. And not just a light, appropriate, peak on the check, even lips were pushing it, they were kids after all. Not this kiss was passionate, raw, needy. In fact, this was like a kiss straight out of my favourite novel, Icha Icha Paradise. I just hoped that this kiss didn't end the same ways most of the kisses in that book did.

I shook my head, not even willing to find out. _I just wanted to see what happened in the forest of death. _I thought uncomfortable as I heard a light panting coming from the pair.

Just before everything went into that same fast forward blur, I heard Naruto calling and heard the sound of them pulling apart, Sasuke sighing. Inwardly I smiled, I thanked Naruto for saving dare Sasuke's sweet virginity, I gave a slight giggle to that thought.

The blurring stopped almost instantly and Kakashi found himself standing in the middle of the forest of death. The trees were wild and looked as it they were trying to uproot themselves.

For the first time I saw that there were more people here then just Sakura and Sasuke, in fact, Sakura wasn't here at all. I saw Asuma's team, I saw Gai's favourite student, Lee, with a covert search I saw that the rest of his team was in a tree. Then there was my team, Naruto and Sasuke were unconscious, laying under the roots of a tree and Sai was in front of them. He looked really bad, as if he'd been beaten and it didn't take long for me to find the source of his wounds.

Three sound ninja stood surrounded by enemy ninja and yet they looked cocky, well two looked cocky the other, the girl though, was hurt and looking at her teammates in disbelief. I had seen the female of Asuma's team, a Yamanaka, unconscious, it didn't take me long to figure out that she was using her mind transfer jutsu on the female sound-nin.

"Who did this to you Sai?" I turned back at the sound of my student's voice, it sound dark, almost threatening. I saw my student and felt my heart clench, he was now standing, he looked so ominous with a dark, evil aura around him. It was powerful too, so strong that it was visible, a pulsating purple energy.

Sasuke was talking about how he could feel the power, he felt strong. Again I thought that he was lost, too lost inside the darkness to see the way out, the way back into the light again. This was cemented into my mind when I saw him carelessly break the ninja's arms before walking towards the next ninja.

I shook my head, fighting the urge to turn away, if this was Sasuke's first kill, because I knew that was what he had in mind. The killing intent that rolled off him in waves was building and it was going to overflow, his mind was clouded with power and blood lust.

The clearing was deadly quiet as he walked, slowly, towards the only other sound-ninja. When he was half way a voice rang out in the clearing.

"Sasuke." I turned to see the source of the voice and I saw Hyuuga Neji, a prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. "What would Sakura think." It was said as a statement, requiring no answer. Sasuke knew what Sakura would say and Neji knew what Sakura would say, Hell, even I knew what she would say. Sakura had such a big heart, she wouldn't let Sasuke kill this ninja, not just because it would taint Sasuke's soul to kill so young and coldly. But because she wouldn't think that the ninja should die, to Sakura every life was sacred. It didn't matter that these ninja were trying to kill them, it didn't matter that they were the enemy.

She had cried so much after they had stepped off the bridge, for all the people that died on that bridge. From loyal Haku and blood thirsty Zabuza, to the thugs and tyrant that was Gato and his men.

_It didn't matter who they where. She had said over the graves of the missing-ninja as she put flowers down. They were still human._

And that was how she saw everyone, as equal.

_Sakura is an amazing girl,_ I thought. And my amazement for her grew as I watch as, just the thought of her, pulled Sasuke out of the darkness and back into the light again.

As Sasuke collapsed and the memories paused I realized what this light in the darkness was. It was not Sasuke's memories as I had thought, no. This was Sakura, Sasuke's light, the only light in his mind, the only thing that broke the darkness.

With that I was again standing in the dark, blood stained, room and the light, the small ball of light that had grew to take over most of the room, now was Sakura. She was standing there, glowing with a light that was only enhanced by the dark room. Her pink hair, her skin, even her clothes, a beautiful white kimono, shined and when she opened her eyes...Those shinned too.

She locked eyes with Kakashi and smiled, the smile was so bright it was as if he was looking at the sun, and, as if it was the sun. The room lit up, there was no more darkness, it was as if the girl controled the day and night here. For the first time I saw Sasuke's mind, in the darkness I had thought that I was standing in a room, but that was not the case. I was, in fact, standing in a long hallway. it stretched further than I could see, both ways and had doors at random intervals.

"Hello." Sasuke's mind Sakura spoke for the first time. Her voice was like honey, sweet and thick, thick with warmth that filled me.

I was in awe, was this how Sasuke saw Sakura? Sure I knew Sakura, I saw her beauty, her grace, just the warm person that she was. But I had never seen her like this. This Sakura, the Sakura of Sasuke's mind, was an angel. I meant that literally too, I thought as I noticed that the light that was behind her made shapes, the shape of two wings. They were not corporal, no, these wings were made of only energy, of light.

"How may I help you?" She smiled at me again, I found myself smiling back, really smiling, it was something I did not do often. I pretended that I smiled a lot, but with a mask all I had to do was make my eyes look as if they were smiling. It really didn't matter if I smiled or not, no one saw it, so I found it uneasily to do so. But seeing Sakura smile made me want to do the same.

"I'm here to see some of Sasuke's memories." I told the angel Sakura.

"Are you here to hurt Sasuke?" She was still smiling sweetly at me.

"No." I answered honestly. "I came here to take away his pain and alter a memory."

I stepped back, away from Sakura. I didn't mean to say the last part, I was only going to say no but then this warmth took over me and suddenly the words were out of my mouth.

No, I thought, that wasn't it, I don't remember my mouth moving at all, but I must have said it. I heard my voice, it was my voice that said those words, I had thought them and I had heard them so I must have said it.

The confusion was pushed away and instead I was filled with a fuzzy warmth that had me tingling in delight. I smiled at the angel again, she was so beautiful.

"That's not going to effect Sasuke badly is it?" She asked, tilting her head, smile firmly in place.

"No." I replied. "At least I don't think so. It really depends on what the memory I was asked to remove is but even if it will have a negative effect I would have to do it. I was assigned this mission."

Again, I took a step back, I knew I didn't say that, I would never, not ever, speak of a mission. I was loyal to this village and I knew that there was no way that I would betray it, for no reason at all. Besides my team, there was nothing more important to me then Konoha.

The only explanation was that it was angel Sakura, she was doing this and, right now, I could do nothing about it.

"I'll take you to the memory room, you may look at the memory and determine what effect him losing it would do. If it has no effect or positive effect you may alter it, if it had a negative effect I shall not let you." She said as she turned and walked away. I followed her.

I calculated the odds of being able to do the seal without Sakura's approval. They were even, I decided. If I didn't have her approval I was sure that I would still be able to do the seal, I would have to cast a genjutsu to accompany it too though. This plan, though, was a bit worrying though. Sasuke had the Sharingan and I knew that, even though the genjutsu was inside his head, he may be able to see through it. Maybe, hopefully, I would be able to cast one strong enough to fool him, but I knew it would not hold indefinitely.

If I was lucky I would get the approval of Sasuke's mind angel and the seal would work, this one would be much better. I would not have to use a genjutsu, there would be no reason to worry about his Sharingan picking up a genjutsu on himself. He would not get curious if he found in accidentally and he would never remember and I would never worry.

After carefully weighing it I realized that it was in my best interest to get this angel Sakura's blessing.

I turned and watched her, there was something different about this Sakura, not just the angel wings and the fact that she glowed. The was something else. She turned to me and looked me in the eyes and I saw what it was.

It was not only that this Sakura, the one in Sasuke's mind, could see. It was also the fact that she had the vaguest hint of the Sharingan. Her eyes were still there emerald green, but they had Sharingan tomes in them. Two, just like Sasuke.

_Strange,_ I thought. _Why would Sasuke's Sakura have a Sharingan? _

I knew, or at least suspected, that this was how Sasuke saw Sakura, to him she was not a blind Hyuuga. To Sasuke she was an beautiful angel that would look after him. But why did his mind give her the Sharingan?

Was it because he wanted her to see? No, I immediately shook that idea off, she could see just find in his mind without the Sharingan. Was it a hint that Sasuke was apart of Sakura? Maybe but not likely, this whole place was apart of Sasuke and none of it was branded. Was it some sort of claim?

Yes, I thought, of course it was. Sasuke was very positive, this was something that I knew from how he acted around the real Sakura. He was always anger when he had to share his time with her, when we showed up at his training ground when she was there. He was didn't like that we were getting closer to Sakura. But still, why the Sharingan, there were other, more specific ways to say that she was his, ways that didn't change her.

_Only the Uchiha have the Sharingan,_ I thought.

It was mostly true, I was the only non-Uchiha that had them, of course if you went technically, but I felt as if I was a Uchiha by association. Obito was my brother, sure he was not my blood brother, but still. he was a brother to me. Obito was a Uchiha and, as his brother, I felt a little like a Uchiha as well, just like, Obito was a little bit like a Hatake.

So that was it, Sasuke's mind way saying that he saw Sakura as a future Uchiha, if not a Uchiha already.

"We're here." She said, breaking me out of my thought process. She stopped, opened a door and ushered me in. I walked in and she followed, closing the door behind her. The room was plain, nothing inside, just a small white room.

I turned to Sakura, ready to ask her about it, I wanted to see Sasuke's memories of the forest of death, not some empty room, when the scene blurred. Suddenly I was standing outside the forest of death with my genin team.

I watch the scene play out. When it came to the imposter part I was surprised, yet not to see that the ninja was not a rain-ninja. I was a hypocrite to feel betrayed, standing in Sasuke's mind, fully ready to alter his memories. I shook it off and carried on watching.

What I learnt from this was displeasing, no that word was too mild, it was down right frightening. Danzo wanted Sasuke's Sharingan, enough so that he put a mole on our team, on my team. Sure I had noticed some odd thing about Sai but I never thought that he was an assassin, the Hokage had picked him for my team.

I sighed, no that wasn't right, the Hokage and the council, had picked him for my team, and it was a little known fact that Dazo had the other two elders wrapped around his finger. The elders believed, wrongly, that the Hokage was to soft for the Kage seat.

But tof course they were wrong, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a grandfather to his people, to the enemy he was their end. He would give up his very life to save Konoha, no one, not even the council, argued with that, what was worrying was if he would kill for it.

I believed so, I believed that he could, and I knew that he had, many times. His old hands were soaked in blood, blood that was spilt to protect Konoha.

But the Hokage's strength was not the issue here, it was the fact that I was covering up Danzo's dirty work. Now it made sense that he wanted this to be taken care of.

"So, would Sasuke knowing this effect him negatively?" Sakura asked, brining me out of my thoughts.

I thought about it, really thought about it. It might, if Sasuke knew about this, knew that someone was out to kill him, he may well try to kill them first. No matter what he'd say, the would be no way he would get away with it, even if he is the last Uchiha. Killing a council member was only second to killing a Kage. It was a sure death sentence.

If he forgot, if I altered his memory like I was ordered to, he would never go after Danzo, but he would also never know that his life was in danger. But I could protect him, I'd do that anyway, but I would protect him with my life, make sure that no one got close enough to kill him. I would also try to get Danzo exposed, find something on him or if all else fails, kill him. There were many ways I could do it without getting caught, it would be easy.

I thought more about it, both options coming up fairly equal, though in my mind I was swaying the decision. Logically both options were both sound. Sasuke trusted me, enough so that if I told him not to go after Danzo, that I would take care of it, he would follow me. Follow my decision. I knew that I could convince him to let it be for now. But...I wanted him to forget.

I sighed.

"Do you have your answer." I snapped out of it and looked at the angel Sakura. I did have my answer.

I took a breath. "It's better if he forgets."

And I knew that it was true, not because I wanted it to be, not because I swayed the decision in my mind. It was because Sasuke loved Sakura. That much was clear. And if someone wanted Sasuke dead, eventually they would figure out that the best way to get to him would be through Sakura. And if Sakura was ever hurt, or even if she was threatened, Sasuke would surely embrace the darkness inside of him and forget the light. Sasuke would kill Danzo and every man, woman and child that Danzo put in front of himself, to save or avenge Sakura.

So I answered honestly, it was better if he forgot, I would shoulder the responsibility of this one, I would protect Sasuke and I would protect Sakura too.

Sakura nodded to me smiling. "Then do what you must." Then she disappeared.

I altered the memory to the one he described to me, adding a rain-nin in the place of Dai, I took the memory of his pain and left Sasuke's mind.

Sasuke dropped to the ground, unconscious and I stood in front of him. His mark now held a barrier around it, but that wasn't all, it also had an invisible memory seal right in the middle of the three tomes. No one would see it, there would be a slight raised of the skin there, but it wouldn't be enough to make an impression unless it was touched. Even then the chance of someone, even Sasuke, thinking its an additional seal was slim.

I closed my eyes briefly, praying to Kami that no one noticed, if that information was discovered, I don't think that anyone would be able to pull him out of the darkness.

* * *

**Okay, that's all for now. See you next time, I'm going to finish writing my 'Taking Bloodlines' story. Check it out and R&R.**


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